Psalm 27 Beauty
I find myself unable to define beauty!
I tried on my laptop, ‘Ask Cortana’ and wrote ‘What is beauty?’
The answer: You might have to try asking me that question again.
So to Wikipedia: ‘Beauty is commonly described as a feature of objects that makes these objects pleasurable to perceive. Such objects include landscapes, sunsets, humans and works of art. ‘
I didn’t find that particularly helpful either to tell the truth!
Is beauty just in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes?
You and I may differ hugely on whether something is beautiful.
And what does beauty mean in relation to God?
One or two thoughts about that this week in our daily readings.
V 4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Having experienced that period of lockdown due to CoVid many people are once again thinking of holidays. Even today, as I write, I am reading in the news about the US opening its borders once again to allow in visitors from the UK. And I know folk who will be wanting to take advantage of that as they will be able to visit family once again.
Maybe you are seriously thinking about a holiday in 2022; where will you choose to go? For one person it will be a warmer climate, with sand, sea and sunshine; another will head to the mountains for some long-anticipated skiing. I seriously doubt however that you will join David in saying ‘What I really want to do is to go to church and get to know God better.’
Beauty is to be found, not in superb art, or skilful craftsmanship, but rather in a close relationship. Watch an elderly couple shopping together, hand-in-hand and smiling at each other as they meander from shop to shop. Each sees the other as beautiful in this relationship sense. They are perfectly satisfied with each other and fully enjoy one another’s company.
That is how David felt about his relationship with God. That is why he says so confidently that he wants to ‘dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. ‘
David wanted to enjoy a beautiful relationship with God – how important and desirable is that to you? Is that relationship so desirable that it would be your first choice for a holiday activity?
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