God's Great Performance Art

A sermon preached with the people of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Oakland, California.

Last week, a group of us from St. John’s attended an annual fundraising breakfast for our partner Genesis, which brings together congregations and community organizations to work for social justice. During the event, I had the true honor of introducing what’s called the “Poet Keynote,” this year given by the Oakland Youth Poet Laureate, Nairobi Barnes. She was absolutely extraordinary. She was able, through poetry, to reveal the reasons we do this work of justice; of respecting the dignity and belovedness of every human being.

In my introduction I said how proud I was to be a part of an organization that invites a poet to speak at these kinds of events. Because in doing so, Genesis – and by extension St. John’s – recognizes that poetry (that all art ) communicates in ways nothing else can; reveals truth in ways nothing else can. We did hear wonderful and important more traditional presentations from leaders and activists that morning. But all of that information was grounded in the backdrop of the truth revealed in Nairobi’s art.

This morning, we heard the familiar story of the transfiguration. Jesus and the trio – Peter, James and John, go off on their own; up a mountain. And while there, Jesus is transfigured. He appears dazzling and bright – his clothes bleached and sparkling.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Moses and Elijah appear beside him.

And as if that wasn’t enough, God’s voice pierces through the clouds and says “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

The transfiguration is considered a miracle of Jesus, along with stilling storms, casting out demons, curing the sick, and feeding the 5,000. But those other miracles are of a practical nature. They accomplished a thing. Solved a problem. This though? The robes and the sparkling and the apparition of prophets? I mean it’s really not God’s most practical work. But it is up there with God’s most beautiful work.

I believe the miracle of the transfiguration is art. Divine art.

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The transfiguration reveals the truth in a way that speeches and sermons, books and primers – any practicality of this world – really can’t. Think of it like celestial theatre on a high-altitude stage; with effects and costumes; ghosts appearing, and the voice of God ringing out from just off stage. Art.

Just before they left for the mountain trail, Jesus told the disciples – clearly -who he is and what will happen to him. Mark even adds, “he said all this quite openly.” And he calls them to follow him. And I have a feeling they heard him. The facts. The details. Wild as they were. But I wonder if they really felt what he said. I wonder if they really understood, in their bodies, what was happening.

I wonder if that’s why Jesus turned to art. To help communicate those big truths: God is real. God is here. The Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. We better get ready. 

Music, and dance, and theatre and film; poetry and literature. Painting and sculpture and photography and Architecture and design.

God knows these things help us know truth. Maybe God designed it that way. Sometimes art condemns our behavior; it speaks of war, racism and white supremacy, colonization and greed. It’s not always pretty. Sometimes art acts as an unflattering mirror, allowing us to see ourselves in an uncomfortable context. Or an affirming mirror, helping us see our own beauty. Sometimes art centers marginal voices; challenges us to rethink our place in this world; what belongs to us and what does not.

Sometimes art is simply so beautiful – one couplet, one chorus, one brush stroke, one leap through space, one polished surface -- it almost hurts.

Art does not – in and of itself – change anything. But it can change those who see it, hear it, watch it. Engage with it. And, sometimes, those changed people do go out and change the world – in big ways and small. I know you are all aware of this! And I hope you are thinking of an art experience that changed you that we can talk about at coffee hour.  

I just felt a drive to say these things out loud today because it is so hard for us in this time and this place – this hustle culture -- to concern ourselves with “the impractical”; the category so many creative endeavors fall under. It is so hard for us to prioritize things that speak to us in ways nothing else can. To forget that God is found in those places.

God’s great piece of performance art -- the transfiguration -- did not change Jesus. Did not change who he was. Or who God is. But it revealed the big truth of God in a new way. And it did change those disciples on that day and on so many days after that, revealing the truth of a God who lived and died alongside us and called us to follow him.