What if the pursuit of justice requires more than activism? What if it also demands beauty?
In a world marked by division and suffering, we face a critical challenge: how to pursue what is right without burning out or losing compassion along the way.
In Beauty and Justice, justice advocate Haejin Shim Fujimura and internationally renowned artist Makoto Fujimura invite you to
discover how to sustain the slow work of justice through gratitude and generosity, understand why justice without beauty can become harsh and ineffective, and embrace practices for cultivating a "generative life" of courageous service.
Through stories from their global work in the arts, advocacy, and cultural renewal, the authors reveal that beauty isn't a luxury--it's essential to effective, lasting justice work. Beauty has the power to heal, and justice becomes most compelling when it is truly beautiful.
This book offers a bold invitation to partner with God in restoring what is broken and building a more beautiful future. It includes a four-color insert of artwork discussed in the book.
Introduction
1. Genesis Moments
Experiencing and Creating Beauty
2. Pursuing Shalom
Experiencing and Seeking Justice
3. Estuary
Creators of the Good and the Beautiful
4. Grit
Fostering the Courage to Do the Slow Work of Justice
5. Generosity
Living by Trusting in God's Abundance
6. Gratitude
Practicing the Discipline of Thanks Amid Suffering
7. Generational Stewardship
Creating Beauty Out of Ashes
8. New Wineskins
Vessels Made More Beautiful Because of Their Scars
Afterword
Haejin Shim Fujimura is a lawyer, entrepreneur, and justice advocate. She is the principal attorney of Shim & Associates and the CEO of Embers International, a global nonprofit addressing the problem of intergenerational exploitation. She is the creator of Estuary, a workplace confluence of art and business. Makoto Fujimura is an internationally renowned artist, writer, and arts advocate. His books include Art + Faith, Silence and Beauty, Refractions, and Culture Care. He is a former presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts and the founder of IAMCultureCare (formerly known as International Arts Movement).
