Art to Heart Invocation

Gustave Moreau: St. George and the Dragon

©2002 by Jeff Dugan

The story of Saint George and the Dragon is the classic fairy tale.  A medieval town is menaced by a horrible beast that has come to devour the lovely princess.  Suddenly the brave, heroic knight in shining armor appears on his gallant steed and rescues the princess by slaying the beast.  The Catholic church embraced the image as a depiction of Christ defeating evil and saving mankind.  Add that to the dramatic appeal of the story, and it’s easy to see why it was such a popular subject for medieval artists.

This is not a medieval painting, though.  It was created in 1889.  Nothing surprising about that, perhaps.  Every age needs a hero to save it from evil.  But in 1889, the western world was certain that machinery, science, and industry would be that hero.  While most artists of the time were working with the beginnings of modern art, Moreau looked back to the medieval past, before the age of reason introduced by the Renaissance.  His art issued a unique call against misplaced faith in technology and encouraged people to recall the richness of the time when life’s uncertainties were more immediate and required a faith in a supernatural God.

 It’s a similar crossroads to the one in which the young nation of Israel found itself when they asked God for a king.  Threatened by the Philistine dragon, they sought protection in an earthly hero they could keep with them all the time, and lay their hands on when they needed him.  This despite the success of the old days when they had no such option, and relied only upon a God they could not control. 

In 1889, Moreau’s warning was not heeded, until the horrors of two World Wars showed that science and machines could destroy as well as provide.  In ancient Israel, misplaced faith in earthly kings reached its peak in the crowd that chanted, “We have no king but Caesar.”  Today we have our own dragons and no shortage of would-be rescuers.  Will we call on one we think we can control, or the One who is ­in­ control?

Let us pray.

Lord, forgive us for presuming to trust in earthly powers that are comfortable and controllable.  Save us from the peril of continuing to trust these flawed saviors.  We’re really not too big for our own pants, though we sometimes like to think we are. 

We relinquish our control…we lay at your feet our pretensions to determine our own fate.  Helpless, we plead with you to come to us today as our one true king.  Provide for us…protect us…guide us.  We have no king but the Lord!

Amen.