As highlighted in Kris Flynn's article in this issue of the Central Beacon, CCC has been blessed for more than a decade by the talent and heart of our worship leader, Steve Duff. In addition to being an accomplished musician, Steve is also an excellent songwriter. Last year, Steve introduced our congregation to a worship song that he had recently composed – The Beauty of It All. Steve included this song in the worship set for the first Sunday of the new year, and being the last song of the set, I came up at the end to transition us to the next part of the service. As I did so, I was struck not only by the beauty of the song but more so by the invitation it extended to see and persistently seek the beauty of God, his creation and his purposes, especially in a time filled with so much doubt, darkness and division. At the moment, I asserted that The Beauty of It All should be our theme song for the year of our Lord 2025. This declaration seemed all the more appropriate as we had just completed a contentious election cycle and were on the cusp of a governmental transition fraught with anticipation and anxiety.
Little did we know that in just two days, the LA fires would reduce whole communities in Los Angeles County to rubble and ash, adding to the fear and anxiety of local and global catastrophes from inflation, disasters, war and deep political and social division. In many ways, these are dark and often ugly times, and one wonders where and how we find beauty amid the carnage.
However, let's take a step back from the headlines of dread, our often combative social media streams and our immediate personal worries. We can't help but acknowledge that the universe, including our little blue planet, is filled with beauty and wonder, notwithstanding all the ways we have exploited and exhausted creation and the creative gifts God has given us. Beauty truly is all around and within each of us, but we have to choose to observe and pursue the good and the beautiful as an act of resistance against the evil and the ugly. Significantly, this happens much more locally and personally than at an organizational or governmental level.
The creation stories of Genesis 1 and 2 proclaim that in contrast to the rest of God's good creation, he created humans in his own image. What exactly it means to be created in God's image has been vigorously debated throughout the centuries. Whatever else it may entail, surely the human ability to appreciate the beauty of all of God's creation and to use our God-given gifts and interests to create beautiful things ourselves has got to be at the core of the Imago Dei (to use the language of the theologians) and what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom.
One of the ways that we pursue beauty on a daily basis is simply to stop and smell the roses, as the country artist Mac Davis intoned in his 1974 hit song by the same name. In this vein, I had a brief, beautiful encounter with nature a few weeks ago. After days and days of hot, dry weather, we finally had a small amount of rain overnight, and the temperature dropped considerably. In the morning, as I stepped outside to breathe in the fresh, moist air, I was captured by the beauty of a bird's song. After a moment of searching, I discovered one small bird at the very top of a small tree across the street, welcoming the beauty of the morning with the matching beauty of its song. For a brief moment, I was captivated by the beauty of it all and filled with gratitude for God's goodness.
The fact is that we are surrounded by bird song, sunrises, sunsets and all manner of beauty every day, but we are often so preoccupied by our worries and work that we miss the glory of God's creation all around us.
Another way that we can perceive and pursue beauty amidst the dull and dreadful of daily life and world events is to do for one person what we wish we could do everyone caught up in some traumatic event or another, to quote author and political educator Sharon McMahon.1 McMahon uses her social media feed, Sharon Says So, to educate her audience regarding political and governmental issues, but more importantly, to challenge them not to use the scale of an event or an issue as an excuse for inaction. But, rather, to recognize the power and beauty of everyone doing what they can with what they have to make a difference for even one person.
The idea of doing for one what we wish we could do for all reminds me of Jesus' words in Matthew 25, where he says,
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:35–40, (NIV)
These words of Jesus are both encouraging and challenging. Jesus challenges us as he goes on to say that when we have failed to serve the least of these, we've failed to serve him. However, what a tremendous encouragement to know that when we do for one what we wish we could do for many, we are serving Jesus and participating in his beautiful reclamation project for the entire cosmos.
A final and more obvious way to promote beauty in an often dull and dreary world is to discover, develop and deploy the creative gifts that God has given to each of us and to notice and encourage the gifts of those around us. You may not be a great artist, but every one of us has God-given abilities and unique interests and perspectives that he's given us to bless others and beautify the world – even if the world we bless is simply our home, neighborhood or church.
In Romans chapter 12, Paul states:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1–2, NIV).
Paul then talks about our spiritual gifts – the abilities God has given his children specifically to build up the Church – challenging us to recognize and use them faithfully.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully (Romans 12:6–8, NIV).
We could continue Paul's argument without defiling his intent by adding, If your gift is painting, do it excellently and beautifully; if it's designing or constructing, do it carefully and creatively; if it's organizing, do it faithfully and joyfully. The list could go on.
I have a friend named Jeff who beautifies the world with his gift of encouragement. Occasionally, on Sunday mornings, just before our service begins, I'll receive a text from Jeff with a brief, timely word reminding me of my own gifts of preaching and teaching and encouraging me to be confident in God's presence and purpose in and through me. We are all supposed to encourage each other, but some people have the gift of encouraging others so that their words come across not as flattery but as appropriate to the person and the moment. Jeff is one of those people, and I'm grateful that he occasionally does for one – me – what he wishes he could do for everyone.
So, what about you and me? Will we allow ourselves to be cowed and co-opted by the ugliness of the world around us or the lurking darkness within us? Or, by faith in God's goodness and in faithfulness to the call of Jesus and the stamp of the Imago Dei impressed upon each of us, will we defiantly and joyfully develop and deploy our gifts and look for opportunities great and small to work For the Glory of God and the Good of Our Neighbors Near and Far?
It's not too late. We can start today if we simply open our hearts and open our eyes to The Beauty of It All.
—Pastor Scott