In the beginning was the Word (and oh my, do we love words over here at Tabor Made). And the Word was with God and the Word was God. And so it remained as such until an angel asked a young woman for her consent and Love Incarnate entered the world.

 

As human beings, words are integral to our lives – language defines how we think and how we communicate. Whether written, spoken, or floating around formless in our heads, there’s no doubt that words delineate just about everything. And yet, even Jesus – the Word Himself – took on a temporal and physical existence as part of God’s plan for divine self-expression. 

 

Led by His example and made in His Image, there is a desire deep within the human heart to give form to beauty: and this is the birthplace of art. Every brushstroke, every melody, every poem; every key change, every sculpted contour, every line etched in photoshop is a testament to the Divine Image within us. We create because God first created. J.R.R. Tolkien called this "sub-creation.” Humans cannot bring something into existence from nothing as God does, but we can shape and transform His creation into fresh expressions of beauty.

 

And when the spark of inspiration strikes, when it kindles new light in the world – or as Tolkien writes, “rekindle[s] an old light” – when the artist’s call is answered and beauty takes new form, what is its purpose? Once again, the life of Jesus has something (everything) to do with it. 

 

Accompanied by his closest three – Peter, James, and John – Jesus ascends Mount Tabor and gives them a glimpse of His heavenly glory. The Gospel of Matthew reflects, “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white” (Matthew 17:2). This visible revelation of Jesus’ Divine identity makes the veil between the earthly and the divine momentarily as thin as mist in their lives. Their understanding of Him is all at once elevated.

 

Just as the apostles’ understanding of Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, the process of creating and experiencing art can transfigure our perception of God, allowing us to see His beauty more clearly in the world. Speaking on the artists’ process, Saint John Paul II reflects, “Their creating is no more than a glimmer of the splendour which flared for a moment before the eyes of their spirit. Believers find nothing strange in this: they know that they have had a momentary glimpse of the abyss of light which has its original wellspring in God.” 

 

This abyss of light – this True Presence – which has always existed but was made manifest to human beings at the Transfiguration, is what dazzles the heart “in the ardour of the creative moment.” It is what makes us want to create. Almost as if on impulse, we mirror the self-generating outpouring of love that exists within the Trinity. We bring forth something new into the world through the capacity of co-creatorship that the Lord has given us. We are created to create.

 

And yet, as enticing as it is to camp out at this mountaintop moment, it is not what we were made for. God practically interrupts Peter when he begins to suggest that they should all stay up on the mountain and in fact, this is one of only a handful of times where God speaks directly to the apostles. So, you know He means business when He tells them that Jesus is His Beloved Son and that they should listen to Him. 

 

The artistic process can feel like a "mountaintop experience," where the glimpse of a higher reality makes us want to stay there, just like Peter. Yet, also like Peter, we have to descend the mountain and continue our lives – and our mission. The purpose of the vision was not just to marvel at Jesus’ glory, but to carry that experience into their mission. In the same way, when we create art, we should not only admire its beauty, but allow it to transform our souls and deepen our call to evangelize. 

 

The Transfiguration at its core is actually a call to action. It is not an end unto itself, but rather a preparation for a greater glory: the Resurrection. The Transfiguration of Jesus is the ultimate bridge between His humanity and His divinity. In the same way, that spark, that echo, that Spiritus that has moved poets, prophets, and saints and overwhelms the soul with an outpouring of creativity is not a closed circuit. It is not about the moment itself or even the art that comes of it. Its purpose, ultimately, is to illuminate the path of men. 

 

And so here we are, just a couple of creatives, looking upon our everyday surroundings with a baptized imagination, seeking to make the mission of the Transfigured Word Incarnate just a little more known through the art we create as we take an initial idea (word) that sparks a tangible art form (incarnation) that then illuminates change (transfiguration). 

 

So, whatever inspires you, let’s get together and make art about it.