It's a beautiful thing

I thinking about music yesterday - nothing specific really - just thinking about the various songs that I like (which I normally do when I listen to Itunes' randomization of my music library). Some songs are catchy, some are moving, some are annoying - you know what I mean. And it never ceases to interest me about the variety of music that makes it to the long list of songs that I consider to be "my favorites". It makes me wonder as to what sort of criteria my mind uses to discern what it likes and what it doesn't. Anyways, in the midst of all this Keith Green's There Is a Redeemer came on and the first thought that came to my mind was "this is beautiful". And it kinda struck me because it quite rare that I can say that about a song (or anything for that matter). 

So what makes something beautiful? I suppose there are a lot of ideas out there, but not many of them work for me. I'm not trying to say that it's a relative thing, just that I don't think we've really thought through our definition of beauty. So we say things like, "wow, that is a beautiful scarf", etc. I don't know what you think, but I'm pretty sure that it's being used out of context in that sentence. I guess I'm making a case that beauty is not about tangible perfection. In other words, inanimate, man-made objects cannot be considered beautiful. I think beauty is in reference to truth. It may sound a bit far fetched, but it all checks out (at least in my mind). Keith Green's song is beautiful then, because of the truth it presents. But it's more than that too; because even truth can be exaggerated - to a destructive end. So, beauty is not only about containing truth, it's also about portraying it accurately and honestly. We say that a sunrise is beautiful, or a star-lit sky, or a freshly fallen layer of snow, and I think for once that we are using that word in context. For there is nothing like creation to declare the glory of God - and that is a truth that shall never fade.

But lets consider people for a moment, because I think it can apply to us as well. We can put a lot of effort into honestly presenting our heart (and that is a good thing), but if we are only intent on the presentation, then we may still be presenting something less than beautiful. I like the description - "a man after God's own heart" - because if there is truth anywhere, it is God's heart. So as we diligently work to honestly present our hearts, we must be diligently seeking our hearts to mirror God's - for in that lies beauty.

Beauty (def.) = The honest presentation of internal truth 

P.S. This is the definition I shall use from here out...