Beauty Surrounds Us

Peace is the beauty of life.  It is sunshine.  It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family.  It is the advancement of man, the victory of a just cause, the triumph of truth.

–Menachem Begin (1913–1992), Prime Minister of Israel

 Men and women are expressions of God’s beauty.  He created male and female in his own image (Gen 1:27).  Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), a leader of the Indian Independence Movement, wrote, “When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator.”  God’s good.  His beauty is revealed in people and nature.  David Allan Coe (b. 1939), a songwriter and guitarist pointed out, “It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.”  For this attribute we must praise God.  We’re wonderfully made and marvelous are his works (Ps 139:14).

Philippians 4:8 reveals, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  That was why Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), the first lady of the United States, remarked, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”  Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993), a British actress and humanitarian concluded, “The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway of her heart, the place where love resides.”

Love of Beauty

With love we would enjoy the rejoicing of the heavens, the earth would be glad, the fields jubilant, and see the trees of the forest singing for joy (Ps 96:11-12).  Elisabeth Kŭbler-Ross (1926–2004), a Swiss-American psychiatrist explained, “People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.”  Moreover, Our Lord loves righteousness and justice and we should be full of his unfailing love (Ps 33:5).

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), an essayist and poet reminded us: “Never lose the opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.”  Daily we should pay attention to God’s designs which surround us and learn from them.  Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), an Indian artist wrote, “Beauty is truth’s smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror.”  While Emerson was sure: “Love of beauty is taste.  The creation of beauty is art.”

Ultimately, when it comes to mankind God is concerned with our hearts.  For the Lord instructed the prophet Samuel when he saw Eliab, saying: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things people look at.  People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  But upon David’s arrival the Lord said to Samuel, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one” (1 Sam 16:7,12).