March 30, 2007
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Grasping intangible beauty?
One thing I’ve learned as a follower of Jesus over these years is how easy certain words and phrases can become nothing more than just jargon, or a subculture language(Christianese). Words that had immense meaning, intense passion, and incredible depth, can become a cliche, an automated phrase that comes off our lips during prayers or conversations. The irony is that we’re simply imitating what we perceived as part of being “spiritually matured”, but simultaneously stifling our ability to progress in our relationship with Him.
For me, I’ve been pondering on what does it mean when I say, “Beautiful Lord” or “The Lord is beautiful.“
What does it mean for me to tell God that He is beautiful?
A dictionary definition of beauty gave me a better grip on this question…
Beauty - the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mindThis I can understand to a point:
- My best friend is beautiful. She is beautiful on the outside as well as the inside.
- A sunrise, a sunset, a rainbow are all beautiful to me.
- A photograph, a song, a drawing, a poem are all things that I can consider beautiful.
The common thing about them all is that they all are tangible to a degree. Their beauty is expressible. It is graspable to my mind. It may take some time to find the words, but these things are humanly tangible. They can be seen, tasted, touched, heard, or smelled. They all have some sort of definition to them.
Yet, how does one do that with a being who is ulteriorly INTANGIBLE? How does one even describe a being who is unseen, who is spirit, who has no graspable traits to our minds? The best that we could do is grasp the shadow of the shadow of His Glory! Even the words of the Bible, though inspired, are limited when they attempt to describe One who is infinite. How could anyone, in our messed up state, ever grasp the beauty of God?
I know, however, it’s possible because Jesus thought it is possible! His sacrifice made it possible for us to grasp the beauty of God…to take hold of the intangible…to see the majesty of Him, whom we call the “Beautiful One.”
I don’t fully comprehend it. Such words have a mystical property about themselves. What a day it will be when faith does become sight. When every follower is finally capable of gazing upon the One whom angels dare not look at, and be able to say for the rest of eternity that HE IS BEAUTIFUL!
Comments (9)
I agree about the Christianese. Many times we have been trained to say the right thing but we don’t often understand what we’re saying or at times we don’t even really believe it. I think that’s why it’s actually quite refreshing to talk to non-Christians or non-doctrinated new Christians, because they say what they really think. Through them I also learn to say what I think and believe instead of just what sounds “Christian”.
I agree, it is refreshing when one can talk with a non-follower or a young follower because everything is still new and fresh. There’s no presupposition, there’s just a real desire to comprehend what is being said.
Oh that note though, I also think it is a worthy challenge for “seasoned” followers to re-evaluate our thoughts and the words we use when we approach Christ. We are the carriers of timeless Truth and we have to not only carry it, but to let it affect us in ways that when people encounter us, they will know without a doubt that we truly believe this, that it’s more than just information to us. It could mean the difference for a non-follower the choice of life or death, and for another season follower, a deeper passion or a dimming fire.
nice… r u going to be at the JCF retreat??? maybe a little early to ask…
the song was playing in my subscriptions… :0
o.o how did u make the song play while i was reading my subcriptions??? must be ur genius!
I love how you were thinking of the passage when Phillip asked Jesus, show us the Father, and Jesus says, if you’ve seen me then you have seen the Father. Through the beauty of the blood that Christ shed on the Cross, we have indeed seen the Father, and He is beautiful.
Lifestar7 – now I know why I couldn’t remember what you had posted – I had seen/read it that night… :0)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Presson
re: comments from Tizzy and Lifestar7
I agree with the refreshing aspect of talking with ‘non-Christians or non-doctrinated new Christians’. I had an opportunity to speak (rational, intelligent conversation (q&a) without and religious bashing) with a Muslim last week and he noticed that I had jumped from talking about God to talking about Jesus dying on the Cross and being raised to Life again. I was assuming that Jesus = God, Jesus = man and Jesus = son of God and he questioned me about that.
Presson
oh, you changed your picture!