What does it mean to be beautiful?
God is the source of all that is good and beautiful. Every stunning sunset and breathtaking mountain range are gifts from Him. The reason we humans create is because we are made in the Creator’s image.
In some way, Plato is right that ‘whatever else is beautiful apart from absolute Beauty is beautiful because it partakes of that absolute Beauty.’1 In other words, something is truly beautiful as much as it participates in the Divine, the truly Beautiful One.
If God is beautiful, creates beautiful things, and inspires us to do the same, then it’s fair to say that beauty should matter to us as Christians.
Of course, aesthetics are only good in their place. It’s too easy for our hearts to become misaligned; pride and vanity slip in and we become focused on maintaining false appearances. Nonetheless, beauty is something worth prayerfully contemplating. Without it, the world would be very drab. (There are already enough grey, blocky buildings.)
There continues to be a great need for Christians to master their craft—or, to create ‘good art’. That might look like spending hours tinkering on the guitar, painting landscapes, or writing poems. It takes time and it takes prayer. This also applies to those who don’t feel particularly creative—it is an act of worship to produce high-quality work, whether that be in teaching, medicine, programming, or anything else.
It’s worth pointing out that making ‘bad art’ can also be an act of worship. There is something lovely about enjoying the process, accepting limitations, and not minding a messy outcome. Sometimes sketching, sculpting, or singing is just about spending time with God and delighting in Him.
The first pages of Scripture describe Eden as a beautiful place. Gardens, by nature, are lovely, and Adam and Eve were tasked with maintaining that loveliness.
To cultivate beauty is central to the human vocation.
This will come more naturally to some than others and is a privilege that many can’t afford to think about. As a creative person, I find it particularly important to foster an Eden-like environment. My surroundings affect my mental health and spiritual posture. It brings me joy to have a room full of old books, pretty pictures, and a clock my grandfather made in the 1930s.
But what about being beautiful? What does that mean? It may have always been so, but young women face a lot of pressure here. Every culture has beauty expectations, yet very few reach them. There are plenty of people who tell you that it’s only the inside of a person that matters. And others create studies to prove that more attractive people are more likely to get what they want in life.
I’m not sure telling all girls that they’re equally stunning is honest or useful; good looks are a gift given to some, just as intelligence can be. Our culture places a high value on external beauty. However, as Proverbs tells us: ‘Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman [or man!] who fears Yahweh is to be praised.’2
The ancient sage is right. Prettiness does not equate to character. The prophet Isaiah describes Jesus’ appearance as having ‘no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.’3
Whatever value personal appearances have will not last. This becomes clear when interacting with the elderly. For someone in their eighties or nineties to be beautiful is a lifetime’s fruit of character shining through. They may have a bad back and more wrinkles than they can count, but that will always pale in comparison to a heart aligned with Jesus.
Beauty should be admired only so much as it leads to spiritual formation. If God has given you the ability to make beautiful things, do it for His glory, and it will be even more beautiful. Whatever your skillset, whatever your appearance, may you seek to use these small things to build the Kingdom.
Plato, Phaedo, 99d.
Proverbs 31v30.
Isaiah 53v2. This makes a fascinating dialogue with Saul and all that Israel looked for in a king. God’s always showing up in unexpected places and with surprising people. Who would have thought that the Saviour of the world would come from the backwaters of Galilee?