Sermon: “The Uses of Art”

Many works of art in all cultures were created in relation to life’s mysteries and transitions—to commemorate, to comfort, to teach. In the past fifteen years, first-year residents at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have gathered around an ancient Etruscan sarcophagus for memorable discussions on dying and patient care. What new value can works of art offer to medical practitioners and to all of us, as we live our lives, care for others, and even when we approach the end of life?

Bio: A born and bred UU, Barbara Martin joined First Church Boston in 2019, the year in which she retired as Alfond Curator of Education at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, after forty years of gallery teaching, public program planning, and interpretive design.

Image:
Sarcophagus and lid with portrait of husband and wife
Etruscan, late 4th or early 3rd century BCE
Volcanic Tuff
Museum of Fine Arts Boston | Boston’s Art Museum (mfa.org) 1975.799.