John Michael Talbot - The Empty Canvas Lyrics
Lyrics
An empty canvas waits
before the Painter
It waits to be the painting
it must be
Unto this end it's rightfully
been created
To reflect rightfully what
the Painter sees
A beauty that will surely find
its life within its dying
So another might be born again
In this constant death a
constant beauty is created
Within a constant love that never ends
Jesus is the Master Painter
And the Holy Spirit is the Master's Brush
To be dipped in the colors
That portray a Father's love
That the Master's painting might be born of us
That the canvas of our life might know the Master's touch
To portray the beauty of the Master's Brush
So an empty canvas waits before the Painter
An empty canvas destined to be hung
Within the gallery once it has been created
Will the canvas bear the beauty of the Son?
Video
The Empty Canvas
Meaning & Inspiration
John Michael Talbot's "The Empty Canvas," featured on his 1989 release *Master Collection, Vol. 1: The Quiet Side*, is a profound meditation on our divine purpose, drawing a powerful analogy between an artist and the Creator. The song posits that each of us, much like an empty canvas, is brought into existence with a specific destiny: to become a reflection of the Painter's vision. This isn't a passive waiting; it's a purposeful creation, a state of being "rightfully created" to mirror what the Divine sees, a beauty that finds its genesis and perpetuation in a continuous cycle of transformation, akin to finding life within dying, so that something new might be born. This ongoing process inherently reveals a constant beauty born from an unending love, echoing the Apostle Paul's declaration in Romans 8:28 that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Talbot masterfully identifies Jesus as the "Master Painter," the divine artist whose work is brought to life through the Holy Spirit, described as the "Master's Brush." This brush is dipped into the vibrant "colors" that effectively portray the Father's boundless love, with the ultimate aim that the Master's "painting," the grand design, might be born *of* us. This emphasizes a profound intimacy and co-creation, where our very lives become the medium through which God's love is expressed. The core aspiration is that the "canvas of our life might know the Master's touch," allowing us to "portray the beauty of the Master's Brush." This resonates deeply with the New Testament teaching that believers are God's "workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). The imagery of the finished painting destined for a gallery speaks to our ultimate purpose: to be presented in God's eternal presence, bearing the likeness of His Son. The poignant question, "Will the canvas bear the beauty of the Son?" serves as a powerful call to self-examination, urging us to consider whether our lives truly reflect the character and love of Christ, the ultimate portrait of God for humanity, as described in Hebrews 1:3, where Jesus is the "radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature." The song thus becomes an inspiring reminder that our existence is not accidental but intentional, a divine artwork in progress, designed to reveal the glorious love and beauty of God to the world.