Around this time of year, so many of us are keen to notice each sign of spring and each revelation of new birth — the longer days, the melting of snow, the increasing presence of the sun. It can be easy to give glory to God when the beauty of God is literally unfolding before us.
Soon, even with our late Easter this calendar year, we will once again hear the words of Creation from Genesis 1, as God calls all things into being; and we can pay attention to those first verses:
“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while the Spirit of God swept over the face of the waters.”
I like to imagine here that the Spirit is hovering over the void, excited and energised about what is to come forth. I can visualise the pulsing enthusiasm of the Spirit, as all things that God creates pass through that blanket of divinity, touching perfect love and holiness as they take their place in the created order, which is what we know as the cosmos.
It is this undeniable and transcendent joy of close contact with God that gives beauty to the whole of the Earth and beyond. Our invitation, then, is to recognise and truly appreciate that beauty.
This means that we see God’s beauty in the enchantment of a prairie sunset, and also in the slushiness of the snowmelt; we recognise a holy hope in the budding of a flower, and in the prevalence of weeds sprouting in our gardens. Mud puddles and dandelions may not fit our conventional consideration as items of beauty — and we may all have many other components for that list! — but they have been blessed by that voice that loves all things into being.
This reality encourages me to enjoy those beautiful gifts, while also looking beyond the notion of physical beauty, and to be moved by the message of Psalm 96:9a, “Worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness.”
This suggests to me that wherever there is holiness, there is beauty to be seen.
So, beauty can be seen in moments of grace and forgiveness: when we come together and search for ways to find common understanding. When we are comfortable with the practice of seeking the presence of Christ in all people, our connection with each other can grow and flourish in beautiful and unexpected ways.
Beauty can be seen when we not only desire what is right but hear the call to action. As Proverbs 21:15a assures us, “The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous.” There is beauty in standing up for what is right, in giving assistance to those experiencing need, in advocating for the vulnerable, in loving people as Jesus Himself loved.
As we renew our baptismal vows, many of us in worship at the Great Vigil of Easter, we remind ourselves of our commitments to love one another, to treat others with dignity and respect, to come together as the people of God: this is a beautiful testimony to our faith! It reminds us of the power of being the people who are led by the Risen Christ to be the whole people of God, living the Good News in our own unique contexts.
When we do all we can to build up community, we are doing all we can to celebrate the kin-dom of Christ. By keeping Jesus at the centre of our hearts and intentions, we keep Christ at the core of our interactions with the world. It doesn’t take much for us to share a smile, a kindness, a compliment, a prayer. Yet for those who have only felt excluded, this can be life-changing.
The beauty of the Lord is here when we recognise the presence of holiness. Further, in so many more ways than I could write about in this column, Jesus waits for us to surround ourselves and others with that beauty. It’s only when we close our hearts to God’s divine presence in all things that we are rejecting that holiness, thus closing our eyes to the beauty of the Lord.
The ugliness in our world, which does exist, is merely from those who have chosen to turn away from God.
So, the opportunity is for us to see the joy, to identify the beauty, to raise thankful hearts to God for all that we have been given, and to receive the gift that comes from faith, that we are eternally enveloped in the beauty of Jesus.
