Scripture tells us, "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth." (Ps. 50:2) Did you hear that? God describes His dwelling place as "the perfection of beauty." What does that tell us? To come face-to-face with God is to come face-to-face with beauty; unadulterated, untainted, breathtaking Beauty.
In a culture consumed with style, we may think we know beauty when we see it. I would suggest we do not. We know the glitz and glamor of style, but beauty lies in the substance.
The knees of all my pants wear out quickly. Why? Because I crawl on the floor with my two little girls every day; messy evidence of a beautiful life (speaking of "substance" I won't mention the substances that find their way onto my clothing, but--as gross as they can be--they, too, smack of sheer beauty).
Does this make sense?
In the library of Alexandria there was found a fable called "The Warmstone." It tells of a stone which could turn any substance to gold (viz., the alchemist's "Philosopher's Stone"). This stone was distinguishable from every other stone by its--you guessed it!--warmth. You would know it because warmth radiated from it.
A young man, desiring to possess such a stone, sold his every earthly belonging and set forth to find the Warmstone. He camped along the seashore and began systematically testing every stone--casting them into the sea when they proved to be mere stones, so as not to inadvertently re-examine any one stone.
One evening, bleary-eyed and sore-of-arm, he found it! Warmth radiated from its core unmistakably, and he cast it into the sea.
Habit.
Our friend had become so accustomed to casting away stones that he failed to obtain the very pursuit of his life.
Ted Turner was recently asked to name something he was thankful for. "My health; that I can get up and do the things I enjoy." Life was about simple pleasures for one of the world's wealthiest men. He had obtained wealth and found it wanting; so too women (at least 3), fame, prestige, experiences, et al. He had conquered every frontier--Vēnī, vīdī, vīcī--yet had concluded that all rapturous promises are hollow. Life was was about simple pleasures, because soaring expectations only lead to crushing disappointments.
Jesus make a soaring promise. "I have come that you might have life to the fullest!" (Jn. 10:10) Where does this promise fit into our minds and hearts? Does it radiate heat? Will we cast it away before we're sure?
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."
What is gold but beauty or the means for attaining all things beautiful? What if the Source of all beauty was put within our grasp? What if it could flow beautifully through our lives? Would we recognize it? Would we recognize its results and rejoice thus?
This blog will be a series of meditations on beauty and beauty lived out. It is my hope that, through it, we might all feel the warmth of the stone or, put another way, recognize the treasure when we see it.
"From Zion, the Perfection of Beauty, God shines forth."
Selah.
