I was
sitting with a good friend of mine
recently, updating each other on our
lives and discussing our dreams for
the future and our latest hobbies and
passions. I shared about my recently
rediscovered love of writing and she
described her passion for painting. In
the midst of our laughter, fun and
heartfelt sharing, she looked at me
and said what is probably one of the
more profound things I have heard in a
while. She said, “You know Maria,
beauty will change the world!” It got
me thinking, and you know what? I
think she’s right!
Noticing true
goodness and beauty
We live in a crazy world! A
fast-paced, busy and incredibly loud
world. It is so easy to go through
each day and never really pause to
appreciate the world around us. But
what if we did? What if we stopped to
notice the beautiful sunsets that are
painted across the sky or to hear just
how wonderful the sound of laughter
can be? What if we took the time to
appreciate the beauty of
relationships, to recognize truly what
a gift it is to have friends and
family? What if we stopped to notice
beauty?
I
believe it would change us. It would
change the way we look at our lives
and approach our relationships. Just
as you cannot sit in the sun for a
prolonged period of time without being
burned, you cannot sit and acknowledge
the presence of something truly
beautiful and not be moved!
Beauty incarnate
draws us into the presence of God
There’s a reason that words like
“breathtaking” are used to describe
beautiful things, because beauty is
meant to stir something within us. And
perhaps, if we pause to acknowledge
the beautiful sunset or be moved by
another’s heartfelt and joyous laugh,
we will begin to see and know the Hand
that painted those smooth colors
across the sky. Each beautiful scene
or breathtaking moment is not simply
an expression of His love (though it
is indeed that) it is a glimpse of Him
who is beauty incarnate, beauty
Himself. Each expression of beauty is
a moment of encounter, an opportunity
to be drawn into the presence of God.
There is nothing more worthy of
pausing our busy, loud lives, if only
second. It is worth taking time to
notice.
Yes,
I think my friend is right. If we
allow it, true beauty incarnate will
inevitably and undeniably change our
hearts and changed hearts will change
the whole world.
