Sacred Art
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth--all you see, all you don't
see. – Genesis 1:1 the message
God is still creating
Even now he fashions men and women
Who bear his image as co-creators: as artists
Sharing His spirit, guided by His hand
These human creatures, of dust and earth,
Invited into the very heart of God
Invited to participate in God’s revealing
Co-creators looking into our world
Seeing the sacred amid the profane
Seeing the spirit still alive in the broken and discarded
Offering hope in all that you don’t see
With a deep respect for all that you do
Sacred Sight
“This piece of land is so important to us as a people, historically.”
– Antonius Roberts
In 2003 there was much debate about the destiny of a far off piece of land
on the southwestern tip of New Providence. Politicians and businessmen were
speaking loudly about their economic or cultural intentions for Clifton Pier.
During this time, the land itself was almost completely discarded. It was
littered with burned out cars and layers of fast food garbage. It had even
become an industrial dumping ground for cement trucks and contractors servicing
the area. It was in the midst of this tense struggle and abuse that something
strange and beautiful started to happen. The people of New Providence Community
Church, led by Pastor Clint Kemp, began to hear God’s call to bring
environmental justice to our world. The community adopted Clifton pier as
an expression of God’s desire for His people to be caretakers of His
creation.
We believe that God takes delight in all of His earthy creation. As his children,
we are called to care for our land: His land.
Over the next two years the community had several clean up events involving
over 400 people of all ages. As the layers of trash and cement were carted
away the sculpture of the raw earth and the ocean vistas began to reappear.
What was once discarded and abused was being restored to its original glory.
Many people who had participated in the restoration effort began to realize
that the sunsets at Clifton were breathtaking. People began spontaneously
gathering to stand in awe before God’s handiwork. The space seemed to
take on a spiritual significance.
“I believe there are many sacred spaces in the universe, and that sacred
spaces find us and draw us to them.” Tyrone Ferguson
God had his own plans for Clifton. It had been returned to its former glory
but it still needed protection. Man had trampled on its beauty in the past.
The forces of economics and politics still had competing visions for it’s
future. How could God use the land to speak triumphantly to our hearts? How
could His voice, longing for justice, continue to echo it’s mystical
invitation to join him in the restoration?
Sacred Space
“We are not selling anything but we are hoping that everyone carries
something away with them from this experience: the call for people to find
sacred spaces wherever they are.” Tyrone Ferguson
Art has the power to make the invisible visible. In the hands of skilled artists
Antonius Roberts and Tyrone Ferguson the invisible mystical qualities of Clifton
Pier suddenly began to shine through. After most of the trees were stripped
away by two hurricanes, the next stage of transformation began.
Antonius Roberts began his collaboration with God’s creation. Over seven
days, he slowly birthed the mystical forms already present within the firmly
rooted trees. As they began to take shape, their presence seemed to drift
and sway toward the sea as a symbol of sacred longing. Antonius reinforced
this longing by installing his piece, Jacob’s ladder, [made from the
mast of a Haitian sloop] at the crest of the cliff. Becoming a focal point
pushing toward the heavens.
“I just felt it would be a wonderful tribute to our ancestors and to
our people to transform those trees into spirits, symbols of hope, symbols
of connecting to the past”- Antonius Roberts
The community of spirits gathers, firmly grounded in the material dust of
the earth, but still craving after the mystical presence. They seem to be
inviting reflection, mediation, and participation.
“We hope that people visiting the space don’t just see but feel,
experience and become a part of it.” – Tyrone Ferguson
Tyrone Ferguson added to the transformation by installing interactive metal
gongs in the tress surrounding the cliffs. Each of these gongs offers a personal
invitation to engage. You are invited to not just witness the beauty and mystery
conjured up by the surroundings. You are also invited to become a part of
it. To add your resonating sound to the wind as it rises over the bluff. When
the gongs are ringing in unison they produce a unique and organic harmony.
These metallic tones give voice not only to the spirit sculptures but also
to the many other pilgrims who have joined them on the journey.
Near the peak of the cliff both artists have come together to offer a space
that invites you to relax and let your spirit rest. You are invited to revel
in your connection to such a beautiful and mysterious creation.
“We are not using words or preaching a sermon, we’re just connecting
with what God’s doing” – Clint Kemp
The reflection space features an ornate metal railing by Tyrone and six wooden
thrones fashioned by Antonius. This space invites you to reflect on the soul’s
longing for God and the power of art to allow us access to the deeper invisible
qualities of God’s sacred creation.
When we see what was discarded and forgotten being restored to new life right
before our eyes, it changes the way we look at the world. We begin to see
the sacredness in other parts of our lives. Our eyes have been opened a little
wider and our souls have grown in their capacity to connect with the world
around us in more meaningful ways.
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