Our world lives daily, hourly, minutely, even secondly seeking to view, possess, absorb, or contain beauty. Whether you realize it or not, you are too; it’s a need inborn within us. That’s the thing about beauty, we need it!
We were made with a desire to display beauty, if you’re a woman; or, as a man, to desire to be connected to beauty (in my second blog of this series, I’ll talk more about beauty in relation to males and females). However, as human beings, we are all born to long to be in the presence of beauty, and even to be a part of it. Some people are on a constant search to absorb this elusive thing called beauty – most the time not even knowing that’s what they’re seeking – but can never quite find it, so they either throw themselves into unhealthy behaviors or simply numb-out. But others find it! Oh for those who find beauty! They are never the same! They are content, for they find what they’re seeking everywhere, everyday!
I can hear the cry of so much longing.
With actions, the world is asking, “Where is beauty?” and even, “What is beauty?” I have an answer, and it may surprise you. First, at the very base definition, this is beauty according to Webster’s:
Even according to the dictionary, beauty is not just a “thing” that exists, but it affects us in our senses, our minds and our spirits. It causes our spirits to exalt even. So the answer to “what is beauty” involves the fact that it’s a quality that actually impacts our physical senses as well as us spiritually. To the question, “Where is beauty?,” then, here is the answer: God is beauty. He is the one who created beauty, and formed us to desire and long for beauty, because we really long for His presence; and when we absorb His presence, we begin seeing the beauty we so long and desire for all around us in His creation, since He put reflections of Himself within the work of His hands.
The beauty our world needs and desires is all around, but unless they’re connected to the Source, the world constantly feel that disconnect from what they know must be there. Until they learn to be a part of the One who created the beauty, the desire will never be relieved, for the echo is all around calling like sirens to somehow join such splendor.
So, it starts with Him. Psalm 50:2 says that God is “perfect in beauty”; and in Psalm 27:4 the psalmist longs “to gaze on the beauty of the Lord,” even “the beauty of His face.” I never gave deep thought to the connection between longing, beauty, and God, until a few days ago. Listening to my i-Tunes that day, songs speaking of this aspect of God kept playing: “You’re beautiful, beautiful…”; “I just want to dwell on who you are/beautiful/beautiful/I’m lost of more to say/you’re beautiful to me”; “Beautiful One I love/Beautiful One I adore.” I repeat again, God is beauty. Apart from Him, we never fully experience or even fully SEE beauty with clear vision. When we spend time in His presence, just talking with Him or listening, it is as if we can feel the wonderful warmth and beauty of His smile before us. That warm feeling, that full content feeling, that feeling that all is right and that exaltation of every part of our being – that’s experiencing beauty.
As I said before, from there we experience the beauty everywhere, for “He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Nature becomes beautiful: the Bible talks about trees and cities, as well as the land, as reflecting beauty. When you watch a sunset, or walk through green forest-land, there’s a glorious emanation that seems to speak forth from the sights – and for anyone who’s really looked with clear eyes upon this, you know that this emanation goes straight within and causes your inner self to sing as well! The sad thing about beauty that is if we don’t have the beauty of God inside of us, this song from such glory has no harmony within our soul. It’s as if we gaze at the sunset, and we want to consume and let it be a part of us, but it goes straight through us. Ah, to know the beauty of God is to know the song of beauty and to sing along in perfect tune!And, when learning the tune of beauty, suddenly we begin acting in a beautiful way, for beauty can work itself into action! Romans 10:15 says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” Now, we all know that feet are NOT a beautiful thing, but the action of someone walking towards another and extending the love of Christ to them is. Another instance of action becoming beautiful occurs when a former prostitute came to Jesus during Passover and washed his feet with her tears and perfume – wiping them with her hair. Jesus declares, “Why are you bothering her,” at the disciples rebuke her for her action, “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” When we get God within us, and absorb the beauty of His presence, suddenly we begin displaying beauty in all we do and with our words!
Yes, the thing about beauty is that it’s not just a thing: it’s a presence, it’s a song we’re meant to get within us, and then preform the notes outwardly with our actions. Not only were we created to take in beauty and see and experience it clearly, but to bring this glory to the world!
Of course, until we actually can fulfill that longing to GAZE, literally, upon the beauty of God’s face in heaven, we’re always going to have some slight need within us. BUT, for now, our need can find more than enough satisfaction in the presence of the Creator, the Sculptor, the Artist of all things glorious and beautiful!
To You, my God, I join the song:
“I just want to dwell on who you are/beautiful/beautiful/I’m lost of more to say/you’re beautiful to me”
© Krinda Joy, August 2011
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