Artisan Vancouver

I 'm slowly reading a great book by the founder of the International Arts Movement (or IAM), Makoto Fujimura. It's called Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art and Culture and, alongside Mako's stirring, provocative writing can be found samples of his award-winning art, as well as works by other artists. I had a chance to meet Mako briefly this past February when we went to New York City for the annual IAM Encounter. This morning I read a section that was too good NOT to quote here. I've headed this post "Refractions #1" because I fully expect to quote Fujimura's work more than just once in this context! On pp.69-70 he writes: "Art is an inherently hopeful act, an act that echoes the creativity of the Creator. Every time an architect imagines a new building, an artist envisions the first stroke of a brush on a white canvas, a poet seeks a resonant sound in words, or a choreographer weaves a pause in layers of movements, that act is done in hope; the creator reaches out in hope to call the world into that creation. And what if the creator reaches out to the Creator, the source and origin of creativity? Would not God be delighted? Even if no one else sees that offering, God alone can see. The treasures to be stored up in heaven (Matthew 6:20) can be our creative act done in faith. The Bible tells us the story of this creative God, who treasures his creatures, even as fallen and as desperate as we are. Jesus calls God "our Father in Heaven" (Matthew 6:9), and we are called God's children (Romans 8). The Bible tells us that God rejoices in our acts of creativity, just as any loving father would dote on his child's wild drawings..."