Saturday, July 13, 2013

Beauty by Me




Although I don’t share personal beliefs cultivated by John Keats during the Romantic Era, I do appreciate his thoughtful investigation of life and am drawn to at least some of his conclusions.  It does seem, as he suggests, that beauty is a many-faceted essence that originates from in another realm to pervade earthly experience.   It’s beyond us, and yet all around and even part of us.  (See yesterday’s blog.)

The topic of beauty continues to linger in my mind. The senses recognize it, and yet a letter can be beautiful not necessarily because of the stationery or even the content, but rather because of the quality of relationship between the sender and recipient.  A memory of a soul bared in a moment of transparency can be beautiful. A compassionate look in a moment of crisis or pain, a faithful attitude of submission to God even as the world grates on itself – these are beautiful.

Yesterday beauty was illustrated by observances on a boat ride, and narrated by a classic writer respected as a master.  Today beauty is manifesting as love, the love of God indwelling a human heart, love that reaches through barriers of space and time to conquer the ugliest foe: loneliness. Love is beauty, and beauty is love come to restore us.

No comments: