Hospitality...Or Not
John Franklin
"That downward pull is often a paralyzing influence while the resisting presence of art may bring us liberation. But what is crucial is that the art is born out of the forceful swirl of the actual."
Hospitality is one sort of resistance, art I think may be another.It is odd how a statement can take hold of you and as tenacious as a terrier you find you can’t shake it loose. My bouts with such words are not commonly long term, usually on a matter of a few days. Recently I was dabbling in a book on the subject of hospitality. (Christine Pohl, Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition Eerdmans 1999) I am fascinated by both the depth of this gift and the scope of its influence. Normally we think of hospitality as serving up a rather quaint and pleasant social pastime. And I suppose that is one way to look at it. But I came across some startlingly different accounts. Words like – profound, rich and life-giving, subversive and countercultural – are not what you would expect when speaking about this human practice.
The sentence that caught my attention – the one I couldn’t shake – made a surprising claim: “Hospitality is resistance.” How might that be possible? On the surface of things the very opposite seems to be true, hospitality is welcoming and inclusive. The meaning of this important practice is found in the way it engages the power of recognition. In a culture where isolation, marginalization and dehumanization prevail – the recognition that resides in hospitality bridges the gaps between us, brings affirmation and dispels anonymity. It is in this way that hospitality is resistance. In an ideal world such resistance would be unnecessary, but we do not live in an ideal world. Our culture and our faith communities are filled with examples of failedrecognition. Race, gender, age and religion are social realities that we allow to become barriers that divide us. Hospitality at its best resists the prevailing influences of our fast paced society and “makes room” for the stranger. It resists the shriveling impact on the human spirit that seems common fare in our technological society. "The imagination whose watchword is “taking pains” must struggles for survival in a society whose watchword is “labour-saving” - Nigel FordeSo what I mean by resistance is the pushing against the darkness, the despair, the uncertainty, the superficiality, the isolation, the arrogance, the exploitation and whatever else may serve to diminish the rich gift of our humanity and the natural world as our habitat.
The resistance is not necessarily a conscious effort but it resides in the very nature of the gesture of hospitality. Simone Weil wrote “Obedience to the force of
gravity. The greatest sin.” There is a gravity which may be expressed in social,moral or spiritual terms, that pushes or pulls us so that at times we
INVITE by Lyne Mcllvryde Evansfeel helpless against its power and resistance seems impossible. Hospitality is one sort of resistance, art I think may be another. Irish poet Seamus Heaney, who cites Weil in his essay on The Redress of Poetry speaks of how poetry can “place a counter-reality in the scales – a reality that may be only imagined but which nevertheless has weight because it is imagined within the gravitational pull of the actual …” He uses the metaphor of the balance scales – where one side needs the balancing influence of the other.
What Heaney suggests here is that poetry (and surely any other art form) can be engaged to lift the weight of our real life situations and so resist their downward pull. That downward pull is often a paralyzing influence while the resisting presence of art may bring us liberation. But what is crucial is that the art is born out of the forceful swirl of the actual. For Heaney it is not to be adetached and idealized world that art creates but one which is tempered and shaped by the dynamics of real life. “The redressing effect of poetry comes from its being a glimpsed alternative, a revelation of potential that is denied or constantly threatened by circumstances.” (S. Heaney The Redress of Poetry p.4) It is but a short step from speaking of art as redress and resistance to speaking of art as prophetic. I don’t wish to champion the idea that the artist must be seen as prophet, but I find the prophetic thread had to avoid. The artist who creates out of the swirl of the actual is bound to slip into imaginings that have a prophetic ring. It seems to me that artists who walk in the light of Christian faith should find such imaginings unavoidable. It will not do to acquiesce with the prevailing winds of the culture. At the heart of the gospel story is the intent to provide us with an alternative vision that serves both to challenge and to enable us to see beyond the common fare of the surrounding society. If one takes this story seriously it will surely find its way into one’s art.I don’t wish to suggest that it is always within the nature of art to be characterized by resistance – though it might be. The point to be made is that art like hospitality is capable of being a countervailing force against so much that bends humanity under its weight. Artists are not simply passive onlookers but agents who have the ability to provoke reflection and generate change. Artists do more than merely reflect the world they live in they invite us to see that world in a different way. It is here that the prophetic imagination may be at work resisting the gravity of prevailing trends opening a window to alternatives which are possible even if not always probable.
THE WALK: Written and directed by Murray Watts - Going for a walk, ... what could be simpler, what could be more commonplace, what could be more dangerous...walking until he came to the end of himself and the beginning of a new life... Elijah walking into the wilderness hoping to die, but he’s driven onwards until he finds himself inside a cave; he hears a voice... Augustine . walking in a garden in Milan hearing a child’s voice saying “Pick up and read.” His whole life, all his successful, troubled, confused life changed by a walk in a garden. Walks that change lives. Walks that change the world. Walking: an innocent yet dangerous pastime, a high risk occupation. So begins The Walk – a 27 minute dramatization from the life of William Wilberforce and his history changing meeting with John Newton in the year 1785. The film marks the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade by the British Parliament – the law was passed on March 25,1807. Written and directed by Murray Watts and produced by Norman Stone, two seasoned British filmmakers, the work has some Canadian connection. Jeanine Noyes (voice) and Matt Baetz (bass guitar) two Canadian musicians are included in the film when we hear at the end a moving rendition of Amazing Grace sung by Jeanine. Monique Sliedrecht a Canadian visual artist now living in Scotland and working with Murray Watts at Freswick returned to Canada in late February to visit family. Monique had in hand the newly released DVD and asked if Imago might arrange a showing of the film with about a 10 day window we were able to arrange a showing on Thursday March 8th – attended by 120 or so interested viewers. Jeanine and Matt performed accompanied by Fergus Marsh and Ottawa MP John McKay spoke to the gathering about the links between faith and politics. Monique was able to tell us something about the making of the film and plans for its distribution. It is a different sort of film from the full length feature Amazing Grace released this month in Canada. But it is an engaging story about poignant moment in the life of Wm Wilberforce. Through the film we catch a glimpse into what he was thinking and feeling at the time and what moved him to take up the cause of abolition. But it is about more than a moment in history – as it raised again the question of what we will do to address the abiding presence of slavery in our contemporary world. The film is not just a reminder of things past but a call to respond to the present. It is an excellent piece for a large or small gathering and serves to provoke our thinking about matters of vital importance.
Ali Matthews – Window Of Light, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON CMC Distribution 2006. Cdn $17.99. For those unfamiliar with Stratford singer Ali Matthews, Window Of Light, will be a pleasant surprise. This wellproduced CD tastefully brings together her strong, melodic voice, rich harmonies, the crisp guitar playing of her right-hand man Rick Francis, plus occasional piano, cello, mandolin, and violin – usually in a band setting. Soft rock dominates on Window Of Light, and yet you’ll hear jazz, classical, country and folk elements. “Hearts without Scars” sounds like your stereo has skipped over to a Sarah Harmer CD. She is clearly a gospel singer, and yet writes many songs that will appeal to fans who haven’t yet embraced her faith. It isn’t until the eighth of seventeen cuts that a song (“You Knew My Name”) is obviously about her relationship with God. Gradually, lines such as “Light of the world shine upon us / Light of the world show the way” (“Hear the Rumble”) work their way into a listener’s consciousness. She seems to have won over some significant people to her corner – Jim Vallance of Bryan Adams fame, Canadian Celtic music legend Loreena McKennitt, Billboard Magazine’s Larry LeBlanc, and Christian Rock pioneer Larry Norman. Her ability to reach both those inside the kingdom, and those watching curiously over the fence, should help her reach the wide audience she deserves. - Review by D.S. Martin, adapted from Christian Week.
So The Moon Would Not be swallowed: is the brand new poetry chapbook from Brampton poet D.S. Martin, released March 2007 by Rubicon Press of Edmonton. It is a poetic journey with the poet’s missionary grandparents to the China they served in between 1923 and 1951. China was in turmoil throughout these years. The constant civil war and power struggles among warlords were only disturbed by the Japanese invasion preceding WWII, and the eventual takeover by the Communists. Every one of the poems in this small collection has appeared in a significant publication either in Canada or the US, such as Canadian Literature, The Cresset, The Fiddlehead or First Things. Besides being a poet, D.S. Martin writes about poetry for publications including Faith Today, Books & Culture, and Image, and is the Music Critic for Christian Week. So The Moon Would Not Be Swallowed is available at his readings throughout the GTA, or directly from his website: www. dsmartin.ca. For information about his upcoming readings in and around the Toronto area see: sothemoonwouldnotbeswallowed. blogspot.com.