On Strange Coincidences

during a lecture in a college film theory class, the professor challenged us with a new idea. as we attempted to make sense of a bizarre experimental film by asking ourselves what each scene meant, our prof told us:

"when it comes to film, and art in general, it has never been about 'what does it mean?' . . . it's about 'what does it do?'"

meaning: what does it do to you, the viewer? how does it make you feel? often times art is not meant to convey a specific message, but it is meant to convey an emotion or feeling or a new perspective on life -- something that can't be articulated in words -- which is precisely why film or photography or painting or sculpture or song was the medium of choice. if what the artist was trying to communicate could easily be expressed in ordinary prose, they probably would have just written it in their journal!

artists save these unusual, inexpressable notions for their particular medium.

when strange coincidences happen to me in life -- when i meet people who are good friends with my good friends from back in pennsylvania, when i wind up on an airplane flight next to a complete stranger who grew up with people i take classes with, when people from my hometown pop up on the other side of the world, when i run into people i know from penn state and north carolina in hollywood on half a dozen different occasions, when people i know show up at diners, starbucks', runyon canyon, the egyptian theater, venice beach, gordon biersch, quizno's on sunset blvd . . . the temptation is to ask "why did this happen? what are you trying to say? what does this mean? everything happens for a reason, right?"

but when i ask myself "what does this do?" the answer is clear: these situations give me a vague notion that the world is small. they remind me that God is always in charge, that nothing is left to chance, and that, although i am far, far away from my home, God will never allow me to be completely alone -- the great Artist's love is woven into the fabric of His masterwork; us.
we are His medium; we are the screens upon which He projects His love. and we are also His audience.

God is an avant garde artist. when life is strange, don't ask what it means -- ask yourself what God is trying to do to you. how is He trying to change you? how is He trying to make you a better person?

and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
--Romans 8:28