Good Art, Theodore Roosevelt and Rockhounds

Good art, I believe, should be interpretive and never static. Just as our great national parks remain the same in some ways, and yet have changed over time.

Many of the places of beauty we take for granted today remain places of natural art because men like Theodore Roosevelt recognized their value. In his time, Roosevelt was considered radical in his thinking—that some places should be preserved with as little impact from man as possible.

Thus, a man who lived over a century ago continues his legacy today. The people he worked with—those he and his partners inspired—cooperated in the preservation of art from the Creator’s hands.

We are told in Genesis that a great flood covered the world. Many of the geological wonders reflect the powerful surge of rushing waters scouring through sandstone and sedimentary rocks. Others display the turmoil of volcanic eruptions meeting water. Diamonds. Garnets. Opals. Emeralds. The gems which emerge from this cauldron of destruction are yet another reflection of the promise of resurrection and new life.

These gems glow in the presence of light, though their beauty is often hidden. Yet to one who knows, they are collected with great anticipation. Just as a rockhound collects apparently worthless stones, once polished, the very same stones reflect the sunlight in a dazzling variety of patterns.

Our Creator sees within each of us infinite value. He places the craving for beauty within us—a desire to love and be loved. Yet, unlike a gem which has no choice as to whether it will be polished or not, we are given the choice. Will we be polished? Will we allow our Creator to remove the ugliness of selfishness from our lives? Are we willing to let irritating and gritty experiences knock away the things that block the Light from reflecting from us?

Good art doesn’t happen without interpretation. Preservation of what is beautiful requires vision. And uncovering what is hidden requires vision as well. All depends upon light.

So let our dance with the Light continue forever…