hristians share their faith as naturally as fish gulp water. Adventists have a special faith to share, and they also share their faith naturally. Institutions have a special challenge. How does an institution witness about Jesus? How does a hospital share God's healing with hurting people? How does a school show the Wise Teacher to its students and its community?

The following pages show one of the ways in which Adventist institutions are sharing the good news. Our institutions have created wonderful works of art. Wood carvings. Stained glass. Sculpture. Paintings. Photography. They have found unique ways to share silent witnesses of the power of the gospel. We hope that you too will be transformed by the artistic messages on these pages.

How to read this article:

• This article isn't like many others in the Adventist Review. You don't read words; you read pictures.

• Imagine yourself standing in front of the painting or sculpture, much as the people are standing by the sculpture of Jesus washing Peter's feet (left). Ask yourself: What do I see? How does it speak to me? Do I see something new about the love of God?

  

• These works of art share powerful messages, many times to people who know almost nothing about the Bible. The sculpture of the prodigal son returning home (below)--which is located at the front entrance to La Sierra University--generated just such a story.

David Geriguis, vice president for financial administration at the university, was waiting for a repairman to fix some tiles on the newly completed Glory of God's Grace sculpture. He was getting a little frustrated because the repairman was late. Finally he came. The repairman asked what the sculpture was about, and Geriguis told him the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15.The repairman had never heard the story.

As Geriguis told it, the repairman started crying. Then the repairman told his experience with his youngest child, who was only 18. The child was not in school, not working, not doing anything productive with his life. The repairman had two other children--one a lawyer and the other a police officer. The repairman said he had recently had a fight with his youngest boy; two weeks earlier he had thrown the child out of the house. During those intervening two weeks the repairman had not heard from his son, and he had started to think he had made a mistake. He told Geriguis that if his son came back he would know what to do--because of the sculpture.