In the beginning, God created. He shaped the land, formed the seas and spun the heavens into place. As we watch the curtain of time rise over Genesis and follow to its descent in Revelation, we see God continually creating—new worlds, new hearts, new lives. Creativity springs from God's nature as naturally as flight to a bird. And we, created in His likeness, reflect and share that nature.

"For we are God's masterpiece," wrote the apostle Paul. "He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:10, New Living Translation). "We are to be poets of God's Word," writes author Joy Sawyer. Living, breathing works of art.

As image-bearers of the Creator, we too create. Therefore creativity, as embodied in the arts, is a spiritual response—a visible translation of the unseen. Though often unspoken, the language of art slips through our defenses to place truth in our hearts.

"There is a spiritual dimension to music and the arts that Christians often forget," says Beat (pronounced Bay-ott) Rink of Crescendo, Campus Crusade for Christ's European arts ministry. "I know concert-goers are sometimes [so] moved by music . . . that they want to know more about God, and finally come to faith. The Holy Spirit speaks not only through the Word, but in non-verbal ways as well."

Christians, however, often misunderstand the role of creativity. Few churches get involved in the arts, and many creative individuals feel separated and alienated from God and His body of believers.

Separated and alienated—until now.

Artists nationwide are now reclaiming their position as creative expressers of God's Word. In the following stories, we'd like to introduce you to an artist and two musicians who share a vision for using their talents to influence contemporary culture.

Whether you view yourself as creatively gifted or artistically stunted, we hope your perspectives on art will be challenged as you meet these artists.

Unique Style | Using natural mineral pigments dissolved in animal-skin glue, Mako works in the 1,500-year-old "Japanese painting," or Nahonga, mode. For more information about Mako and his work, see www.inch.com/~fujimura.

From his second-story TriBeCa apartment in south Manhattan, Campus Crusade associate staff member Makoto Fujimura leads the International Arts Movement, which unites Christian artists and promotes creative excellence. Mako's works are in great demand, both in the United States and in his native Japan.

WWC: Why do you create and how did you get started as an artist?
Mako: The process really began as a spiritual search. Even before meeting Christ, I felt "called" to be an artist. I looked for direction and identity through creativity, but found what I was seeking in a relationship with God. When I surrendered my life and art to Him, I then felt called back into the art world.

WWC: How can we use art to reach contemporary culture?
Mako: We need to realize that we are God's workmanship. Art is not a peripheral thing. It's what defines us. So we can't really use the arts. We think of art as something on the wall, but it's really who we are.

WWC: What is the relationship between art and culture?
Mako: There is a "language" being birthed every day, from Madison Avenue to Columbine High School. The milieu that results comes from our creativity. It is always new and always changing. Because this language is defined somewhat by popular media, musicians and writers, our cultural perspectives are influenced by the arts.

WWC: Why is it important for Christians to be involved in the arts?
Mako: Because we have lost our culture. By not having a significant presence in the arts, we've abdicated our responsibility to influence society. The core of our culture has not been touched by the gospel. For change to occur, we must have people committed to incarnationally living the gospel out in the centers of culture (arts and entertainment).

WWC: How have Christians abdicated the responsibility to influence society?
Mako: We've lost sight of our responsibility to create and misunderstood the role of imagination in faith. If we're not willing to be salt and light in the entertainment and art world, we cannot complain of its ungodliness.
Creativity flows from the Father's heart beckoning the lost to return to Him. It is He who embraces creative hearts. Yet today, artists find more acceptance and creativity coming out of the gay community than the church.
Right now we have an opportunity to engage in culture. Cultural renewal begins with individual hearts being renewed. If there are no poets or artists with renewed hearts, we will lack the language necessary to communicate the gospel.

WWC: How do we engage in culture?
Mako: It's important to be intentional in creating grace-centered environments, safe places for people. Artists see their work as expressions of who they are, so we need to be willing to listen to them. Most creative people want to be healed from whatever is troubling them, but sadly, we often shut the doors on opportunities to share the gospel by being judgmental. As we engage culture we need to be authentic, not slick and savvy. People are used to slick advertising campaigns, but they hunger for authenticity and grace.

WWC: Where are artists spiritually and what questions are they asking?
Mako: Before the 20th century, artists asked, "How do we depict a flower?" Then in the 20th century it changed to, "What is a flower?" And now the question is, "Can we even ask a question?" Because we're in a time when everything has to be deconstructed and fragmented, even language itself is not trusted. So artists are asking questions about the nature of reality and the origin of language. They're going back to the roots of why we do the things we do and asking who is responsible, who is the author.

WWC: So can art direct others to the Author of Life?
Mako: God has given me the opportunity and authority to exercise my gift of expression full time. To exercise this authority, I need to do the daily act of painting—which includes observing, thinking, praying and preparing the work surface. In doing so, God is able to speak through me and my work.
When I paint, I try to create a way for people to visually engage at another level, so I hope my work is a window into a spiritual reality. Art cannot be truth itself. [It] can only point to Christ who claimed, "I am the way, the truth and the life."
Also, I'm moved by the way God reveals His presence and prepares ways to talk about the gospel through works by nonbelievers. One artist in New York painted a series on The Last Supper. When asked by a Christian friend if he had actually read the Bible, the artist said no—he had merely been influenced by da Vinci's masterpiece. For this artist, the encounter was the beginning of a journey to accept God.

WWC: What is the International Arts Movement doing to reach the arts community?
Mako: I'm very excited to see what is happening with the experimental areas of the arts—like Gospel Plasma [an IAM-sponsored creative "fringe" festival featuring alternative and unconventional forms of art and entertainment]. In terms of culture, this is where things are happening. This is where long-term impact on culture can be made. The whole thing was Christ-centered, but in a subtle way, and God used it to plant seeds in the hearts of people on the fringe of culture.

WWC: Are there any final thoughts you would like to share?
Mako: I believe art flows out of prayer. We think of art as superficial, but it's really who we are. After all, what is faith? It's making the invisible visible. That's what art is all about. We think it's trying to make the visible visible, but it's not. True artists have always been interested in making the invisible visible—and that's how Christians need to approach all subjects.