Blue Boat Home
A video by Kathleen Reeves, with
photography by Thomas J. Oord and
music by Peter Mayer, communicating the
nearness of God on a small, beautiful planet
A Note from Kathleen Reeves
Cobb Institute Board
creator of the video
I believe that inspiration is a lure. I was always moved by Tom’s photographs when I would see them posted on social media. I felt inspired but I wasn’t sure in what direction. I was just called to get lost in these photographs.
I was being invited to co-create something new. I asked Tom if I could use some of his pictures in a video and he graciously gave me access to his files of hundreds of photographs. As I began to look through the pictures to make my choices for the project, I was overcome with emotion. Up to this point I had only seen a handful of photographs, but here were moments of existence in breathtaking beauty, photo after photo.
I thought I was just going to make a slideshow to music but as I started working with the photographs, a story began to emerge. First, I just had nature photos, but I included one of Tom and then inspiration took over. I didn’t know what story I was going to tell but as I worked, I followed the lure. Finally, I saw what it was becoming: Tom would be our tour guide on this journey to recognize God in the world. He sees it and he asks us to share in the wonder and adventure. God’s creativity is present in many ways in this project but most importantly, in the places you will travel to on this photographic journey.
Tom has a great talent for photography but how could he know the way the viewer would be affected by the story in his photos? Through his eyes I saw the beauty of the earth in sunsets, creatures, and even stones or dried branches. He focused me to look at God in the world through his camera lens. This is the relational God in the world and now you are brought into this relationship as you view Tom’s photography in the video that I made. As you watch it, I ask you to pay attention to your feelings and listen for the inspiration, the lure…the Divine.
Kathleen Reeves
I was being invited to co-create something new. I asked Tom if I could use some of his pictures in a video and he graciously gave me access to his files of hundreds of photographs. As I began to look through the pictures to make my choices for the project, I was overcome with emotion. Up to this point I had only seen a handful of photographs, but here were moments of existence in breathtaking beauty, photo after photo.
I thought I was just going to make a slideshow to music but as I started working with the photographs, a story began to emerge. First, I just had nature photos, but I included one of Tom and then inspiration took over. I didn’t know what story I was going to tell but as I worked, I followed the lure. Finally, I saw what it was becoming: Tom would be our tour guide on this journey to recognize God in the world. He sees it and he asks us to share in the wonder and adventure. God’s creativity is present in many ways in this project but most importantly, in the places you will travel to on this photographic journey.
Tom has a great talent for photography but how could he know the way the viewer would be affected by the story in his photos? Through his eyes I saw the beauty of the earth in sunsets, creatures, and even stones or dried branches. He focused me to look at God in the world through his camera lens. This is the relational God in the world and now you are brought into this relationship as you view Tom’s photography in the video that I made. As you watch it, I ask you to pay attention to your feelings and listen for the inspiration, the lure…the Divine.
Kathleen Reeves
