In this season of
Pentecost we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit
who descended to dwell among us after Christ ascended to
the right hand of the Father. To that end “Gracious
Spirit” is a visual prayer of gratitude for that mighty
gift that anoints us all to become the “oaks of
righteousness, the planting of the Lord to display his
glory,” prophesied by Isaiah.
The symbol of this theme is an image of a descending
dove,
representing the Holy Spirit
received at baptism, comprised of stylized green leaves,
symbolizing growth. The artist created a ‘tribal tattoo’
of sorts that suggests that we cannot ask to grow and
expect to exclude those who do not “look like us.”
Our artists explored
the irony of a mysterious Spirit
in the
visual expression of illuminated, fluttering wings of
doves that might emulate the beating of God’s heart;
the haunting quiet of candles twinkling in the tomb of
Jesus; an ancient church remaining in Armenia where
genocide took the lives of a million-and-a-half souls;
Christ suspended on the cross against a sky of brilliant
colors; an angel of Easter experiencing both music and
the crown of thorns; the energy of God flowing from a mandala; the vibrant colors imagined at the moment of
creation; a dove, a sunset and a Eucharist made to live
forever in glass.
The merciful
Spirit
was portrayed in expressions of joy
returned by children served by Episcopal Relief and
Development; volunteers working together for their
church; mosaics that bring us a vision of unity in
diversity; the iconic vision of the Baptism of Christ
for us to emulate.
The compassionate Spirit
comes to us in
symbols of God’s constant protection of his own; the
spirit of Christ in the form of a dove ascending from
the cross; the birds of the Bible; Mary cradling the
baby; an ancient symbol carved for a church’s ambry,
uniting the one who carved it with the one honored by
the gift, both as oaks of righteousness to those who see
and know.
The inspirational beauty of the Spirit
is
seen in the magnificence of this world through light
gilding the morning sky; God’s handiwork of plants and
flowers; an artist who received the universe when a
church gave him flowers and turned the gift into an
artistic expression; birds filling the air in a flight
of freedom; a vineyard of dancing vines, swaying in the
heat of day; images coaxed from the interior of trees;
the rich gift of light and color, permeating existence,
sometimes gently, sometimes with power and might, but
always to delight our senses.
The variety of
images offered by our artists to depict the Gracious
Spirit make visual our suspension in the breath of the
Spirit described in Psalm 139:
Where can I go then from
your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
Jan Neal,
Curator
ECVA Program Director
