Create Islamic Building Art

First century Palestine. Jesus sits on a rock on a hillside teaching a large group of His disciples. The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus wears a plain robe like most ordinary men. Jesus' face is kind, but intense, as He teaches. The other people are mostly peasants, farmers, and tradesmen. There are also women present, wearing plain, everyday clothing. Some couples have also brought their children. The Sea of Galilee shines in the far distance.
First century Palestine. Mid-morning in a rural area. The sun is warm and the atmosphere is positive. Jesus and His disciples walk along a country road that goes to Bethany. There are some trees shading part of the road ahead, and cultivated fields on either side of the road. Jesus, wears ordinary clothing like most men, and He’s talking to His disciples as the walk along. The disciples are listening intently to Jesus, and His face is kind, but intense. A farm house sits off to one side, and the town is visible in the distance.
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
Inside an informal church in London. Wing Sun's father has been invited to attend with his counterpart from the office. He doesn't have anything else to do on Sunday morning, so he goes along. we are standing in the back of the room. There are many people of different ethnicities, the Pastor is standing up front alongside a worship leader with a guitar, and a young black woman, facing the audience. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, but Wing Sun's father feels a little uncomfortable.
Personal POV scene. Me and Jesus in the desert on a cool morning at daybreak walking toward a bright star. Jesus is wearing old clothes and carrying a satchel. I’m wearing old clothes and sandals just like Him. The air is cool and crisp. The sky is bright blue on the horizon with deep purple fading into black at the upper atmosphere. The air is crisp and clear. It’s like the desert in California looking east toward Arizona. There are desert hills on the north and south sides and mountains in the distance.
An outdoor scene on a street in town. A White Mom and African-American Dad with their two Asian children are sitting at a sidewalk cafe. The mood is warm and safe. Everyone has a drink. Mom and Dad are talking to the boy, who is making a fuss. He is unhappy about something, and crying. His sister is looking on. Dad is about to say something.
At his Grandmother's house in Penang, while the tropical rain taps softly against the window, Wing Sun, Mother and Grandmother gather in the cozy living room. The room glows with the soft light of an oil lamp, and the walls are adorned with faded photographs and delicate calligraphy. Grandmother’s eyes sparkle as she begins to speak—a voice that carries both the wisdom of her years and the tender care of someone who’s seen many seasons change. Wing Sun is pensive with anticipation. What will she say?
Siu Zi is a 10 year old Chinese girl in Guangzhou. Late one humid evening, Siu Zi's father meets with a discreet man known simply as Mr. Chen. In a quiet corner of a small teahouse near the back alleys of Guangzhou, Mr. Chen explains, in careful whispers, how he can help the family obtain the documents they needed to leave the country safely. Other patrons are in the teahouse, and a waiter stands nearby, but nobody can hear what Mr. Chen is saying. It's safe to talk here.
First century Palestine. Jesus walks away from the camera along a road that goes through town with several of His disciples. Jesus wears a plain robe like most ordinary men. The other people are dressed like peasants, farmers, and tradesmen. There are also women in the group, wearing plain, everyday clothing. Some children are playing near the roadside. Merchants are selling their goods in booths along the road. There are houses along the road also. The road goes upward toward the Temple in the far distance.
So, you look at those captains and then at yourself and you wonder: “Why them, and not me?” As you paddle along in your pitiful state, a canoe you hope no one will see. But there’s just enough room for those trusted to you for safe passage, provisions, and tare. So, you keep to yourself, and you follow the shore, making passage for those in your care.
Morning city scene in Petaling Jaya. A 10 year old chinese boy and his grandmother. As they weave through the narrow sidewalk, taxis zip by, buses screech to a halt at stoplights, motorbikes wend their way through the stopped traffic, trying to get a head start when the light turns green. People in the informal businesses set up along the sidewalks call out greetings in a mix of Cantonese, Malay, and English. The sky, still soft with the remnants of dawn, and yet already heavy with humid heat, hinted at another sweltering afternoon ahead.
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
a tree in nature
house with front view
portrait of a person with expressive eyes
urban street with city activity
portrait of two people together
bicyle resting against a wall
still life with everyday objects
So, you look at those captains and then at yourself and you wonder: “Why them, and not me?” As you paddle along in your pitiful state, a canoe you hope no one will see. But there’s just enough room for those trusted to you for safe passage, provisions, and tare. So, you keep to yourself, and you follow the shore, making passage for those in your care.
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
The San Gorgonio Pass, Mt. San Gorgonio) rises in the North, all hoary-frost and granite. Snake-like clouds adorning her peak, I gaze past the big white house toward her uplifted boulders. And at the South, Mt. San Jacinto has lost his head in cloud. Burned bones against a blue sky backdrop. Between the two, another sunrise gleams and beams of brilliant, white-hot day flash forth: They accentuate the Sonora desert’s west extreme, and last night’s moon, high up on the left, forgot to go away.
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
First century Palestine. Jesus sits on a rock on a hillside teaching a large group of His disciples. The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus wears a plain robe like most ordinary men. Jesus' face is kind, but intense, as He teaches. The other people are mostly peasants, farmers, and tradesmen. There are also women present, wearing plain, everyday clothing. Some couples have also brought their children. The Sea of Galilee shines in the far distance.
Now, we’ll all have our time on the rapid And we may end together, alone, going ‘round and about in an eddy bruised and broken and soaked to the bone. But the eddy keeps silent the wild current’s call alongside those now grateful captains and all we are given reprieve from a death at the fall as we move to and fro’ in the spin. We stand safe, as the spin takes us in.
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
An Asian Slice At the dark end of an alley on a moonless night, A youth squats low to the ground, turned toward the wall with his face in his lap. Someone might think he’s sleeping. He’s smoking heroin. Soon he’ll fall over and soil himself, and stay right there until dawn. Back at the neon-lit mouth of this dark alley, hookers walk back and forth, hurrying to get past the alley, either for fear or because is smells so bad. Eyelids, all painted golden, Asian whores always look like they’re made of candy. Candy it is; but a snarling cat awaits its prey.
In Penang, Malaysia. Wing Sun's Grandmother is elderly and lives in Penang, on the island. Grandma's house is in a quieter part of the island, closer to the coastline where the sea breeze can be felt through the wooden windows. It's near the ocean, in Tanjung Bungah where there are old-style homes and a slower pace of life. There are many resort "homestay" hotels, and also some high-rise condos, but Grandmother's house has been there many years. Wing-Sun's mother grew up in that house, near the beach, with the ocean breeze. We see the house from down the street with Grandma standing in the doorway greeting us.
Mr. Chen has arranged for the little family to cross secretly into Hong Kong—a place known for its bright skyline and bustling streets. Under the cover of darkness and with careful planning, Siu Zi, her father and Grandmother, along with Mr. Chen have boarded a small boat that carries them silently across the water. The sea is calm, its surface reflecting a tapestry of starlight, as if the heavens themselves are guiding them. Siu-Zi lies nestled between her father and grandmother, wrapped up in blankets, in the forward part of an open boat with quiet motors propelling them along. Their is an air of mystery and tension.
Personal POV scene. Me and Jesus in the desert on a cool morning at daybreak walking toward a bright star. Jesus is wearing old clothes and carrying a satchel. I’m wearing old clothes and sandals just like Him. The air is cool and crisp. The sky is bright blue on the horizon with deep purple fading into black at the upper atmosphere. The air is crisp and clear. It’s like the desert in California looking east toward Arizona. There are desert hills on the north and south sides and mountains in the distance.
Wing Sun is a 10 year old Malaysian boy. We see him from the back as he stands, looking down the street in the evening. The scent of mooncakes and burning lantern oil fills the air in the street in Petaling Jaya where Wing Sun lives. Everything is aglow with the soft light of lanterns, their colors reflected in the puddles left by the afternoon rain. At least 6 vendors have pulled their carts up onto the sidewalks on both sides of the street, selling moon pies and other special treats. Several of Wing-Sun's neighborhood friends, some younger than he and some a little older, were standing around in a circle, waiting for him to come outside.
Inside an informal church in Kuala Lumpur. Wing Sun and his father and mother, along with Siu Zi, his friend from school are there together. We are standing in the back of the room, and there are many more people than there were in the London church. There are people of different ethnicities, but mostly Chinese Malaysian. The Pastor, a Chinese man, is standing up front speaking to the congregation, facing them. The atmosphere is hot and sweaty, with ceiling fans running, but still welcoming, Wing Sun is happy that his family is together and also that his friend Siu Zi, who he has just learned is a Christian, can be there too.
Morning inside the classroom at a private school in Kuala Lumpur before class begins. Students stand next to their desks as the teacher, standing in front, leads them in the usual morning recitations of the five national principles, their voices blending into one: "Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan." (Belief in God.) "Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara." (Loyalty to the King and Country.) "Keluhuran Perlembagaan." (Supremacy of the Constitution.) "Kedaulatan Undang-Undang." (Rule of Law.) "Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan." (Courtesy and Morality.) Wing-Sun repeats the words automatically, his eyes drift across the classroom, catching a glimpse of Siu-Zi, the new girl, standing in her usual spot near the window.
Inside a home in Petaling Jaya, Wing-Sun, a 10 year old Chinese boy sits cross-legged on the cool tile floor, watching the delicate tendrils of smoke rise from the joss sticks his father has just placed in the family altar’s bronze urn. The flickering candlelight casts shifting shadows over the framed portraits of the ancestors, their solemn faces gazing out from another time. Wing-Sun's father, dressed in crisp slacks and a neatly pressed white shirt, murmurs a quiet prayer, his voice low and rhythmic. Beside him, Wing-Sun’s mother clasps her hands together in a quiet moment of respect before adjusting the jade bangle on her wrist. Their morning ritual is a quiet, practiced thing; one they perform, and Wing-Sun observes, every day.
Out where the river runs wild and free and only the brave dare row; where the rapids are deep, and the challenge is fresh and it takes them where it means to go. With breakneck speed, grinning into the wind, standing straight on the bow of their craft, just a glimpse now and then of those captains you’ll catch flying by, near capsizing your raft. They’ve no time for advice to those standing on shore or to aid the ones just wading out, for their task is to pilot this current, they think, and it’s all they can do to stay out of the drink, and their lives could be gone in the space of a wink should they lose but a moment to doubt. Standing tall, they never must doubt!
First century Jerusalem at the "gate beautiful" to the temple grounds. Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
The San Gorgonio Pass, Mt. San Gorgonio) rises in the North, all hoary-frost and granite. Snake-like clouds adorning her peak, I gaze past the big white house toward her uplifted boulders. And at the South, Mt. San Jacinto has lost his head in cloud. Burned bones against a blue sky backdrop. Between the two, another sunrise gleams and beams of brilliant, white-hot day flash forth: They accentuate the Sonora desert’s west extreme, and last night’s moon, high up on the left, forgot to go away.
A koi pond seen from above, orange and white koi fish swimming among lily pads, clear water with subtle ripples, fallen cherry blossom petals floating on the surface, dappled sunlight
Out where the river runs wild and free and only the brave dare row; where the rapids are deep, and the challenge is fresh and it takes them where it means to go. With breakneck speed, grinning into the wind, standing straight on the bow of their craft, just a glimpse now and then of those captains you’ll catch flying by, near capsizing your raft. They’ve no time for advice to those standing on shore or to aid the ones just wading out, for their task is to pilot this current, they think, and it’s all they can do to stay out of the drink, and their lives could be gone in the space of a wink should they lose but a moment to doubt. Standing tall, they never must doubt!