Beauty

I think it is fitting that my first post should include the following quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, from which the title of this blog is inspired:

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament.  Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing. 

As I have grown in my faith and increased in sensitivity as an artist, I find myself with a greater and greater appreciation for things beautiful.  It’s something to be expected of anyone who is doing likewise, really, whether they are maturing as a believer or progressing as an artist, but especially if they are doing both. 

I use the term “artist” here in the strict sense of the word, but also more loosely, for I’m a firm believer that we are all artists in one way or another.  That sounds rather ‘artsy’ of me you might say, cliché even.  However it sounds, I do believe it’s true.  In fact, I believe that our creative drive as humans is one of the most powerful ways in which we bear the image of God. 

Scripture starts off with, “In the beginning God created…”  The first thing God tells us about Himself is that He is an artist; He made things, and not just for practicality’s sake.  Genesis 2:9 reads, “And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.”  God made the trees to be eaten but also to be admired for their beauty.  He’s interested in our aesthetic experience of His creation.  That’s just cool.

It’s a shame that we so often pass up opportunities to enjoy the handiwork of God.  That neglect ranges from things as simple as ignoring the sight of a brilliant skyscape because we are late for this or that to things of a more complex nature such as passing up the opportunity to invest in someone, and get to know who they really are.  As for me, I desire to become more skillful at recognizing these opportunities and enjoying them.  I want to be a professional taste-tester, picking up on those subtle nuances as I taste and see that the Lord is good.  What a way to live.

And so, I return to the words of Emerson.  I take them to heart gladly.  May we see and give thanks for the beauty and add to it ourselves, because we were made as more than eyes, but hands and feet also.  What a beautiful thing it is that the Creator of the universe has given us the opportunity to take part in His masterwork.  May our lives be rich with wayside sacraments – outward testaments to the beauty of inward grace, as inns bring light, rest, and refuge to weary travelers on dark roads.