What is it in us that applauds beauty and charm? It doesn't start as adults. Some of the smallest of children cringe from what they perceive as ugly and reach for what is lovely.
But from where does this ideal originate? It's true that someone who attracks you may not be attractive to me. As the saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Yet, I think, certain deformities are universally disdained. A particular level seems to be in place, differing some from culture to culture, by which we judge ourselves and those around us.
We accept in people some things that are different from us, but there is a line we draw. If someone is on this side of the eccentric line, they are accepted; that side, they are shunned. And sometimes, we shun and accept those we cannot ignore. Wealth and fame may weigh heavily in this.
What is it that causes us to react to singular people with something akin to fear? Why should we fear what we don't understand? History shows us we do. Look at the Americans' view of their African slaves or the Nazi's view of Jews, as a couple examples. Consider the horror and pain that these phobias caused.
Although we all love stories of ugly ducklings becoming beautiful swans, we must admit to secret judgements in our heart; standards by which we determine who is acceptable. We may fight it. Yet, it's there when we look in the mirror, watch TV, enter our jobs, sit in our pews.
C.S. Lewis, in writing to a childhood friend, reminds him of the connection between our eyes and the objects we view.
You say that nature is beautiful because of its shape, colour and motions, and perhaps a little because of association. Now these colours etc are sensations in my eye, produced by vibrations on the aether between me and the tree: the real tree is something quite different—a combination of colourless, shapeless, invisible atoms. It follows then that neither the tree, nor any other material object can be beautiful in itself: I can never see them as they are, and if I could it would give me no delight.The prophet Isaiah paints a picture of Jesus' coming and predicts our prejudice:
My servant grew up in Yahweh's presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to Him. (53:2)The prophet Samuel fell into this trap when he was looking at Jesse's sons. He saw one of David's older brothers. Surely this tall, handsome man was who God had chosen to be king.
But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)In one of his books, C.S. Lewis described how some, who we admire on earth, we may look at in horror when we see them as they really are; while others, who we ignored or shunned on earth, we, if we could see now how they really look, would be in danger of falling down and worshiping.
We may be nothing much to look at. We may not have a beautiful voice with which to sing. Yet, our bodies, our voices, our charm will some day return to dust. It's our hearts that live on. Our spirits are the focus of God's eyes.
As believers in our Lord Jesus, especially, we are commanded to not show favouritism (James 2:1). We are known to be God's by our love for enemies as well as friends. God's love in our hearts works to make us beautiful.
So, before you gaze so critically in the mirror or inwardly mock the stranger beside you, remember our true appearance is not yet visible.
What are your thoughts?
