Embrace Beauty
A perfect summer day was drawing to a close. We noticed the trees overhead were becoming a darker hue of green as we continued onward up the winding trail toward our destination. We didn’t know how much distance stood between us and journey’s end but knew we needed to pick up the pace if we were ever going to make it back before dark. We passed through walls of bamboo and from what I remembered reading, I knew we were close. Finally, we emerged into an expansive clearing and stood silently in the most mystifying moment. Waimoku Falls. Sometimes God’s beauty is undeniable.
We find from the opening poem in Genesis that God is the Creator who recognizes the universe as very good…beautiful. At Mission Hills Christian Church we want to be a community of people who embrace beauty in all forms. This means recognizing the beauty of God’s ongoing creation in our daily lives, our work, and in our relationships. Instead of seeing “spiritual life” or God’s beauty as separate from our daily living, we embrace beauty by participating in work, art, service, science, sport, and music — all of which emanate from God and reflect God’s creative movement in our lives.
Jesus calls this kind of life the Kingdom of God or life to the fullest.
By choosing to “embrace beauty” we desire to be keenly aware that all ground is holy ground, and therefore, our creative work in the world is to consistently participate in God’s desire for the earth as it is heaven. Jesus invites all people into this movement of cultivating an awareness and gratitude for beauty in our world. Living life to the fullest encompasses artistic expression and when we create in order to express emotion, we are joining in the movement of the Spirit. Ultimately, we are called by God to be co-creators through our families, relationships, occupations, service, and the arts, which contribute to God’s ongoing work on our planet by creating more beautiful and peaceful societies.
Have you have been caught up in a moment of grace with a sense that you have been invited into the creative work of God?
