Oddly, I learned that God was not a tyrant today at the Maier Museum of Art. My distaste for contemporary art was gnawing at me, like eating a peach and crunching on a pit. A gritty nub isn’t delicious, pleasing, and lovely like a peach. And so, my sensibilities being tuned towards more classical forms of art, I spit out the distasteful pit of modern artistic expression.

Contemporary Art isn’t always beautiful, and the meaning is often obscured. Being an entitled person (in my own mind), I imagined art should be visually pleasing and contribute something meaningful to me. Both preferably. Isn’t that what art is for? To improve culture? To enrich and elevate people?

The host of the gallery, David, patiently assisted while I “pulled the log out” of my own eye. Then, I may be fit to help others with obstructions in their own view about art. That is the formula according to Jesus. Correct your own self first, otherwise you cannot see things accurately enough to be of use to anyone else.

Truth be told, I am not certain that it is necessary that Contemporary Art live up to my expectations of art at all. Or anyone- ever?

What right do I have to expect anyone person or Artwork to live up to my expectations? My definition of Art was clearly an obstacle- an entitled filter through which I was looking at the world. Then, I could not see the artwork or artist at all.

The reason I know God is not a tyrant is because, whatever standards exist in the universe for the well-being of human beings- for health, verbal or visual communication, or any sphere of our existence, an All-powerful One could easily destroy whatever displeases Him. And force us to abide by His rules.  

Such One could summon a whole army and lock up anyone who acted in unauthorized ways- which could be any of us or all of us collectively at any moment of time. Like me, when I wanted to march out in furious protest at the gallery’s latest show. And destroy my cell phone which seems an inescapable tool necessary to interact with contemporary culture.

A device like a cell phone and our dependence on it can create a tyranny. That depends on who is curating its use- just like a Museum Director curates an art show.

The beautiful place I came from was far from the modern world. I witnessed the world’s devolution around me, changes, dangers, and impossible looking challenges. But that chaos didn’t penetrate my private one, until I looked at my cell phone.

I’d have stayed buried there happily forever if “progress” didn’t crush my family financially. But, in everything I lost, I gained a valuable insight into the modern world. Maybe art is like God speaking to us, the way nature speaks to us. It’s a conversation outside how we traditionally may view art or God.

Contemporary Art is about people communicating and trying to be understood, in unusual ways- outside the rigid forms of what may be called classical art. The expressions may seem chaotic, disturbing. And, in my case disorientating.

But, after some hand-holding by patient docents, I discovered some paintings were fun in a rule-breaking way. Others, dark and foreboding, like mysteries that need solving. Artists can create out-of-the-box experiences for viewers.

I didn’t immediately “like” any of them. But, only a tyrant would stop people from expressing themselves. That what disturbs us is allowed to exist proves God is not tyrannical.

What He asks is we not be judgmental of others and love them. As we can, listen to them. Every human being has something to contribute even if it is not obvious at first. Even if they are different. Or negatively affect our sensibilities as in my modern art experience.

I couldn’t see “Great Art” at first or anything else for that matter because of my entitled thinking and rigid expectations. But I wrestled with my frustration and disappointment and found what I was really looking for, myself. And the God who listens when we speak.