"He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion. When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasuries." (Jeremiah 10:12-13)
"Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." (Matthew 13:52)
It's real interesting, how the modern usage of the word "meta" almost doubles back on itself. While the original Greek meaning is "beyond", the current, uh, slang definition simply means "me". As in, a possibly fictionalized or at least embellished version of oneself. Okay, but why? The real struggle between the artist and themselves is that of motive. Why? Why does one want to do art? And as I would consider my art to be that of the broad metaplasm of the English language (yes, I know), I seek to remain true to the more important and fundamental and that for which the only word I truly possess in summation, is a name: Jesus.
"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 10:40)
Regarding the second citation at the top of the page, whenever I envision the "scribe...unto the kingdom of Heaven", I always see in my mind's eye a gorgeously lit and expansive library atmosphere. I don't think Heaven has dust but I'll add a few mites here and there, floating through the golden light. If you could feel it it'd be that warmth of a Summer day after exiting an air-conditioned theater. I see spiral staircases leading God-knows-where and shelf upon shelf upon shelf featuring leatherbound (?) titles from eons past elucidating the minutest and most trivial-expanding-upon-world-shattering symbols and sounds and elements. This is the library of Heaven. And I then see it funneled, channeled down through the clouds by the carriage of the Holy Spirit to the heart (first) and then mind of anyone inclined to write for God. But it must necessarily expand out of the original words God spoke. Either through Moses or David or Jesus or who-have-you. These men, it would seem, had the privilege of saying it first. Of establishing the rubric (like a keynote but for words) that the thousands of generations following—the believers of such—could operate with reference to. This is why the Bible is worth reading and learning from. Because the men and women God spoke to and through at that point, are precisely what we need going forward. Now look again at what Jesus said in Matthew's gospel: "Every scribe which is instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven..." We as artists (writers) have a responsibility to the one who gave us the gift of whatever it is we do and enjoy, namely use words to substantiate the invisible aspects and depths to ourselves.
"Behold, thou art called a Jew (or a Christian), and restest in the law (or under Grace), and makest thy boast of God, and knowest His will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law (i.e. the Bible); And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, And instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?" (Romans 2:17-21a)
Hopefully, for my sake.