It is said that the three essential qualities human beings desire and seek are beauty, truth, and goodness. Great philosophers have been thinking about these for centuries, and I think it’s very important that we also do some thinking about these things. Surely they are complicated, but I think it’s worth the trouble to look at them. Today, I want to look at beauty.
We often say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. An object appears beautiful to us because it appeals to us. If it is a beautiful garden, something about the garden itself captures our attention and calls out to us. Somehow the combination of the size and shape and symmetry and color speak to us. In the end, regardless of what others may think, it looks beautiful to our eye.
When we encounter beauty we are brought to our senses. Beautiful things make us see what is true and good. They show something beyond merely what is being depicted. Beauty in itself has an evangelizing power. The Pontifical Council for Culture, in its document The Pathway for Evangelization (2006), wrote, “The way of beauty can open the pathway for the search for God.”
Beauty, whether natural, artistic, or spiritual, can be a powerful pathway to perceiving and experiencing God. It can awaken our senses, stir our emotions, and point us towards a deeper understanding of God’s presence and character. Beauty can be seen as a reflection of God’s glory, a manifestation of His divine attributes, and a source of inspiration for spiritual growth.
Where and when was the last time you were stopped in your tracks because you saw something beautiful? What about it did you find beautiful? What feelings were invoked? What thoughts came to mind? How did you perceive and experience God in that beauty?
