More art! More soul!
Why the world needs us to play big right now.
We all know that these are troubling times. We’re witnessing the widespread resurgence of extremisms that distort difference into division to the point of divisiveness. Our country is tearing at the seams, and so many of the institutions that once brought us together are falling apart. It is naive, even dangerous, to dismiss the fear and pain behind these wounds. There are many white people who feel ignored and overlooked. And there are many brown and black people who face real threats of violence. It is easy to lose perspective, or to lose hope.
There are countless voices prescribing policy solutions. I want to make the case for the power of art and soul at this moment in history. The late, great Nina Simone famously insisted that ‘it is an artist’s duty to reflect the times.’ I take this to mean that artists cannot retreat from the everyday. Art moves with the crashing waves of life, and often, it is by exposing the rest of us to that turbulence, that we come to realize how sea-sick we really are.
There is not only a critical function to art, though. There is also a prophetic one. The biblical prophets, after all, both denounce the present and announce the future. They not only see the world as it is, they also foresee the world as it could be. It is this prophecy that we so desperately need right now.
Art helps us imagine a more just and beautiful world. Spirituality gives us the courage, compassion, and community to bring it about.
The Sanctuaries was born in 2013 with this mandate: to harness the power of art and soul to promote social change. Today, we are a community of more than 140 artists of diverse racial, spiritual, and artistic backgrounds who come together to build trust and take collective action. And now is the time for us to go big.
I’m thinking of our community as I make this declaration, but I’m speaking to all of us, really. Playing small may shield us from the fear of failure or embarrassment. It may keep us comfortable. But it does little to build a more just and beautiful world. I’m reminded of Howard Thurman’s words: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
As a spiritual teacher, Thurman knew that coming alive was much bigger than having a good time. Not that there’s anything wrong with enjoying yourself from time to time! But I want to believe that for Thurman, coming alive was about living into our fullness. It was about going big.
The world needs us to play big right now. But let’s be clear:
Going big does not mean doing everything.
There are lots of people doing lots of things. The much harder, and much more important, task is to do the right things. I find that the more powerless I feel, the more I seek to reclaim agency through over-activity. And the more I turn to busyness as a distraction. But a boat with many rudders goes in circles, as they say. Now is the time to get clear on what really matters.
Our community has confronted this challenge in the wake of the election, as national organizers turn their attention to Washington, DC and seek artistic support for mass mobilizations. It’s all worth it. But it’s not all possible, at least for us. Spreading ourselves thin to the point of burn-out does no one any good. Instead, we’re taking the time to reflect, discern, and commit to the opportunities where we can be of greatest impact.
Going big does not mean going it alone.
Let me say it again: there are lots of people doing lots of things. The much harder, and much more important, task is to do things together. I’m constantly humbled and inspired by the incredible visions that people have of the organizations and projects they intend to create. But so often, the vision remains just that, because time is limited, resources are scarce, and construction is hard. What we can’t do alone, we can usually do together.
Our community has learned a lot about the importance of collaboration over the years. We used to plan all of our own events by ourselves, and it quickly wore down our organizers to the point of exhaustion. Then, it dawned on us that we were not alone. There were other incredible people doing incredible things that we valued and wanted to support. Ever since, our programming has not only become more sustainable, it’s gotten a lot better.
Going big means going deep.
Let me say it one last time: there are lots of people doing lots of things. The much harder, and much more important, task is to do things well. Enough with the half-hearted. Excellence has as much to do with the process as it does with the product, though. It matters how we show up. The spirit we bring to things shapes what they become, and what we become in turn. In this respect, going big is less about what we do and more about who we are.
And that’s where art and soul come in.
The Sanctuaries is a laboratory for doing life together. It’s a place to practice living well with people who live differently. Through art and soul, creativity and spirituality, imagining a better world and getting there together, we’re learning how to thrive in diversity.
And that’s worth doing big!
Rev. Erik Martínez Resly is the Lead Organizer of The Sanctuaries, a diverse arts community with soul in Washington, DC. He grew up in Germany and studied at Brown University and Harvard Divinity School.
