Yesterday I spent the better part of the afternoon walking, and people watching at Seattle Art Museums new Olympic Structure Park. The park sits at the Northwest corner of Belltown right on the water. The backdrop is the natural beauty of the snow capped Olympic mountains, and the magnificent Puget Sound. The park is filled with modern works of art within the context of several distinct Eco-systems. The gravel paths wind there way through little groves of trees, beautifully manicured lawns, and man made cement structures. The angles in the park make it feel as though it wants to take flight. Sharp corners, and distinct lines create a strange sense of stationary motion. The entire space is truly impressive.As I walked along the path, I couldn't help but notice that every where I looked there was a security camera, or security guard. The cameras are hidden enough not to be obtrusive, but obtrusive enough to be noticed. Every so often as I passed a security guard I could hear the radios squawk to life with warnings to watch this or that person as they approached on of the mammoth structures, or walked outside a designated area. The unspoken message was clear; "don't F__K with the art!!!
I stopped and sat down for awhile and I was amazed by the spectacular view! Yet, as I looked out across the Puget Sound to see the clouds quickly moving across the snow capped Olympic Mountains, I was struck by the irony of the scene. God's art was so breath taking, that the man made structures were almost unnoticeable. Man greatest attempts to create something beautiful were dwarfed by the magnitude of God's creation. All of this art, beautiful as it may have been, was nothing, and yet they had gone to such drastic extremes to protect it.
As I pondered all of this I couldn't help but notice that the Puget Sound was littered with shipping vessels floating lifeless in the bay. Several of them surrounded by yellow barriers to prevent oil and fuel leakage. Jumbo jets on approach to Sea-Tac dotted the sky, undoubtedly emitting toxic fumes into the atmosphere. The sound of cars was constant as they raced by on the roads surrounding the park, and as I turned I noticed the horizon blotted out by high-rise buildings. The beauty of God's artistic creation was littered by mans attempts to be noticed.
In that moment, surrounded by security cameras, I couldn't help but wonder if God ever wants to scream, "QUIT F#@KING WITH THE ART!!!"
I know, God doesn't speak like that, But I sure wanted to!
