Beginning the Pursuit

All my life I've loved beautiful things. It is an inclination which, I think, is innate in all mankind. The desire for holiness, however, is brought about in us by the Spirit of God, and therefore, for me, entered the picture a few years ago when my relationship with Christ became the most crucial part of my life.

After a recent change in the course I saw my life taking, I began to think and pray about what God's will for my life was and where my focus needed to be. At some point during this, the words "the pursuit of beauty and holiness" kept entering my mind. In retrospect, this idea may have originated with a phrase I encountered frequently from The Book of Common Prayer, which states "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, O come let us adore him", inspired by Psalms 96:9 and 95:6. Despite the connection, it had never played in my mind with such constancy before, so I felt strongly that this phrase was meant to help give me direction.

Holiness

The pursuit of holiness is an integral part of the Christian walk, as Paul emphasizes in I Peter 1:15-16 , "but just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, 'be holy because I am holy'". We are called to be set apart in our thoughts, deeds, and bodies, presenting ourselves as living sacrifices to God. This in itself is an act of worship (Romans 12:1). Sanctity is to permeate every aspect of our lives, an aspiration that can be difficult to attain in this secular world and in the daily monotony of life. One of the reasons I am beginning this blog is to encourage and challenge others and myself towards greater holiness. "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God", Paul exhorts in 2 Corinthians 7:1. It is out of a love for God that we seek holiness, and it is only by his Spirit that we can achieve it.

Beauty

How, you might ask, does beauty play into our faith? Firstly, all good gifts come from God (James 1:17), and beauty is a good gift, therefore it is from God. Moreover, God is the author of beauty, the most beautiful and holy of all. As Proverbs 8:30-31 says, God delights in the sons of men, his creation whom he gave the unique gift of participating in the creating act. God desires that mankind would be joyful (Psalms 16:11, Philippians 1:25, Psalm 68:3), and beautiful things bring us delight. For me, skillful works of art inspire both awe and joy, and the beauty of nature draws forth praise. Moreover, there has always been a connection between beauty and religion. In Christianity, it is in the churches where beautiful art abounds, for God's sanctuary is meant to be adorned with beauty (Psalm 96:6), and likewise within other religions beauty is found in places of worship. It is in atheistic cultures where beauty is erased, replaced with utility.

As someone who loves art, I hope to share the beauty of it with others through this blog. Be it in poetry, painting, or any other medium, creative expression inspires wonder in me and it is my wish that it would draw you nearer to our holy God as well. Beauty is inherently connected to God, as Ibn Sina eloquently explains in this quote:

Both the rational and the animal soul - the latter by reason of its proximity to the former - invariably love what has beauty of order, composition, and harmony...it recognizes that the closer a thing is to the First Object of love, the more steadfast it is in its order and the more beautiful in its harmony, and that what follows it results therefrom, viz. harmony and agreement, whereas on the contrary, the more remote a thing is from it, the nearer it is to multiplicity and such characteristics as follow it - contrast and disharmony.

I love how, without outrightly saying it, Ibn Sina shows that beauty and holiness are directly connected. Made in God's image, humanity has an innate inclination to seek God, from whom originates beauty and order. Because of this inclination, we desire beauty, for true beauty brings us closer to God, and it is through holiness that we will see God, therefore the more holy something is, the more beautiful it becomes. Paul echos this when he encourages women to adorn themselves with "the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit...for this is how holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves" (1 Peter 3:4-5).

I hope that this introductory post has helped you to understand the goodness in pursuing beauty and holiness, and that you will join me in this journey to sanctify our hearts and draw nearer to our Lord. It is my desire that this blog will bring you joy and inspiration, and that you might also gain wisdom through the insights I have gleaned overtime and even share your own so that we can grow together. I will leave you with this prayer from Clement of Rome:

Guide thou our footsteps to walk in holiness and righteousness and singleness of heart, and to do all things that are good and well-pleasing in Thy sight and the sight of our rulers. Yea, Lord, show Thy countenance upon us for good in peace, that we may be sheltered by Thy mighty hand and delivered from all sin by Thy lifted up arm, and deliver us from those who hate us unrighteously. Give oneness of mind and peace unto us and all those that dwell on the earth, as Thou didst give to our forefathers who called upon Thee in Holiness, in faith and truth.