“Beauty nourishes the soul, promotes humility, and refines society. When we empty the skies of wonder, our souls yearn for a holiness we ourselves have removed. . . . We have divorced beauty from the soul and extracted virtue from the heart.”- Timothy D. Willard
“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”- Hebrews 1:9 (ESV)
In Chapter 9 (“Soul Leadership: The Footpath of Cultivating Our Affections”) of The Beauty Chasers, Timothy Willard stresses that our cultural education matters. Because a young person’s aesthetic taste becomes refined in late adolescence. Therefore, the discernment of the beautiful, good, and true — cultural education — is critical for younger minds.
Above all, Christian joy signals a transcendent vitality. Timothy explains:
“Goodness and beauty point, then, to something beyond mere objects of taste. Something that bubbles up and points to our spirits; it echoes with murmuring we find otherworldly. This is the fingertip of beauty touching us, ever so softly. . . . But boredom ignites the imagination. We should let children — and ourselves — experience times of boredom so that the imagination can stretch.”
In addition, Charlotte Mason, who pioneered home schooling, reminds us that home instruction carries greater importance that instruction in a school setting. For a child’s character forms within the home setting.
In conclusion, the author cites clinical psychologist David Strayer. David notes that our brains serve as more than three-pound machines that keep plugging away. Consequently, we must do more than consume the digital world. Rather, our brains require time to recalibrate. And nature provides a great spot for a brain break. We find that our brains reboot after a few days on the trail.
Certainly, Timothy realizes, our culture continues to progress in the world of digital technology. However, we must not abandon real life. Because real life serves up things we touch, see, and smell. Away from the noise and distractions.
Today’s question: What most causes you to empty the skies of wonder? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The full bloom of togetherness”
