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Beauty

God is beautiful. He is the most glorious being in the universe. His splendor is unmatched. His majesty is unparalleled. God is beauty. To talk about God as beautiful seems to most, strange. Yet, we are invited by the Psalmist to "meditate on God's majestic, glorious splendor" (Psalm 145:5).

If "beauty lies in the eye of the beholder", what does that say about God, the great beholder? It says that what God says is beautiful, is in fact, beautiful. Human beings then, are beautiful because God has put his image (imago dei) in them. We are beautiful because we are a reflection and representation of God and are like God in certain respects. In fact, all of creation is a revelation of God, a dim reflection of his attributes and perfections. All creatures and created things are a product of divine thought. Mountains, oceans, and sunsets declare and show forth a measure of God's beauty. But among all creatures, only man and women are made in the image of God. Therefore, human beings most "image" God. We are special in that we, above all of creation, show what God is like in who we are and in what we create.

Men and women made in the image of God can create art. This art takes its shape in many forms, sounds, and expressions. Sometimes this art is beautiful. Sometimes it is grotesque. Creativity comes from God. But creativity can be perverted which results in creative depravity. Art is not neutral. Art is not above critique. Art reflects the heart of the artist. Art points people somewhere: to God or away from God.

Life is a beauty contest. What attracts you? What do you run to? The answer to these questions is simple: to what you deem most beautiful. We "beautify" things by giving our time, money and energy to them. We choose our "beauties" on a daily basis. We make most of our choices based on what is attractive to us at the time. Beautiful things fascinate our hearts. We are captured by beauty. We can't look away when we see something that is beautiful. The only question to us is: what is beautiful?