“It is beauty that flies in the face of disappointment and continued failure, and it does so arm-in-arm with hope. . . . It is she whose mind lives awash in beauty who sees through the dirge of the moment into the beautiful hope of redemption.”- Timothy D. Willard
Timothy Willard concludes Chapter 2 of The Beauty Chasers with the last three word groupings the Hebrew language uses to describe the term beauty.
5. Fitting-beauty. God’s temples and cathedrals fit their designed purpose. Such as the Frauenkirche in Dresden, Germany. Therefore, we find it fitting that God’s worshipped in a place that reflects the goodness of the created order.
6. Moral-beauty. The word grouping refers to character rather than appearance. Thus, the Old Testament writes used this concept to refer to God’s Word. Hence, God’s words are good, pure, and beautiful.
7. Glory-beauty. Because this word grouping means to honor or glorify, it’s meant to describe Yahweh Himself. Consequently, the idea of glory-beauty communicates a sense of the weightiness of such a glory. A glory unique to God.
In conclusion, Timothy observes, because beauty connects us with the heart of God, it matters. Above all, that connection cuts to the core of our identity as human beings. So, it follows that:
- Beauty teaches. A beauty as deep as love involves more that our senses. As a result, beauty also engages our knowledge and inspires our sense of meaning.
- Beauty stirs our imaginations. But it also sends us exploring the world we see with our eyes as well as the world we feel in our souls.
- Beauty acts as both a prompt and a goal. It prompts our awareness of ourselves and our existence in the world. However, beauty also serves as our goal. Because it links our sense of identity and quest for self-understanding and self-exploration.
- Beauty nourishes. Beauty points beyond us and reminds us that only the resounding source of beauty itself fulfills our desire for happiness.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you see that beauty flies in the face of disappointment? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The bounty of wonder in this world”
