My wife had me take her to see the brand new CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART.
Truly it is a magnificent facility. We enjoyed the experience. There were even some pretty pictures there. And there were some pictures, art or what ever, that were only cluttering up the walls. In truth maybe not. They may have been covering up holes in the walls of the new buildings.
When we got home I begin to wonder, what the CRYSTAL BRIDES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART cost?
A trip to the Internet gave some insights. As expected it was not possible for this old guy to get exact numbers. But what I found was something like this;
Expected yearly expense to be met, 16-20 million dollars per year. [Just to maintain it]
Approximate assets, about 800 million dollars. I think that included the art on display. Now that is a bunch of money to bring a little culture to this area. A walk through to see some pretty pictures.
I am familiar with this area. I live uncomfortably close to it. I also know that we have homeless people and families. There are hungry people here. The Salvation Army shelters are full and church food pantries are running low.
It makes me wonder about misplaced values.
Forgive me. On second thought I remember several of the churches we passed on the way to see CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART. Perhaps this is simply a demonstration of American churchianity on a grander scale than theirs.
I no doubt am too much in the flesh. I would rather see a hungry stomach filled and a poor widow sheltered from the weather than someones mind enlightened to cultural things.
There possibly is as spiritual side to it. After all, poor hungry people need to see pretty pictures too.
2 comments:
What a sharp eye, Luther! It seems to me you saw more than you bargained for.
In each and every community are the many you refer to: the hungry & homeless, the disenfranchised. I'm grateful to attend a church that doesn't fuss much with fancy. It opens its sanctuary on freezing nights, sets up cots, dispatches vans to collect the street people, and offers them a warm place to sleep, a lots of good food.
I must admit: I'm not a very good art critic. Pretty as it is, I like what my grandkids colors in their little books soooo much better.
Aren't you glad that the Lord gives you eyes to see as He would? What a blessing. This type of wasted spending is going on every day in every area. It is shameful and I don't know how people can live with themselves having spent so much frivelously.
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