It dawned on me that I should perhaps give some attention to and explanation of the image at the top of this blog. What follows is my reflection on this piece of art by Norwegian painter Adolph Tidemand from 1852 entitled "Haugianerne" (The Haugeans).
A group of people sitting in a room seems hardly worth the attention of an artist or those who would gaze upon such a painting. But a closer examination reveals something much more profound. What this painting depicts is a Norwegian conventicle (small religious gathering led by laity), a part of the spiritual revival of Hans Nielsen Hauge in the early nineteenth century (see post below about Hauge).
The people are gathered in a dark room, which might symbolize the world at large. Hauge and his followers, following the long tradition of Western Christianity, understood that the world was corrupted by the power of sin and that people are in need of the salvation that only Jesus Christ can bring. But also notice that light is shining through a hole in the roof of the house. It illuminates a small part of the room, most notably the one who is reading from the Bible or a piece of devotional literature. The Haugeans understood the importance of being nourished by the gospel message as they lived in a world that would leave them spiritually starving.
At the same time, the Haugeans did not withdraw from society, but sought to serve as important leaven in a batch of dough. Hauge and his followers were active in society in many and various ways, and it can be argued that Hauge's spiritual movement led to a revitalization of Norwegian society as a whole. But they never forgot the biblical message that warned against "friendship with the world" (James 4:4). God calls His people to a different way of life even though we live in a dark and sinful world.
I believe this message is as relevant today as it was then. Temptations surround God's people, but Tidemand's painting serves as a reminder of the importance of remaining connected to the source of our life, which is Jesus Christ and that just because something is accepted by society or legal does not mean that it is what God desires for the world. Though we live in the world, we are also called out of the world, recognizing that our true "citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20).