Musing over beauty.

Disclaimer: another post of mine prompted by my musings lately, and catapulted onto my semblance of a blog by this excellent post on beauty...

The post above uses icons as an example of something we can see (not just look at) as beautiful, which I find interesting and agreeable, since in my experience those Protestants or non-Christians who are unfamiliar with icons usually don't first express what beauty they've beheld. I've heard several reactions that run along the lines of, "That sure is some odd artwork." Or, "Why does Jesus have a six-pack?"

I think I avoided this particular reaction partly by being introduced to iconography by osmosis. My brother and sister in law are Antiochian Orthodox, and more than four years ago I visited them in their home after their first daughter was born, and afterwards visited their church more than a few times. I found icons at first oddly fascinating, then pretty confusing, and with some self-education and careful, prayerful consideration, I now see the beauty Fr. Stephen alludes to in his post. However, it was not an instant constitution.

I suppose there is also the fact that I did not grow up in church, therefore I was not brainwashed that iconography is evil and blasphemous idolatry. I did not have a judgement that had been pounded subtly into my head to set me against veneration, either. I heartily thank God for that, no matter how I've regretted not being a Christian till adulthood.

The mass production of beauty, as something to be utilized, though...I don't think that is beauty, just something ugly with a pretty name and a convincing veneer. One cannot buy salvation, and one cannot buy beauty. Any front that promotes beauty as marketable, and by those means personally acquirable, is to be looked upon as falsehood and turned away from. It's not possible to gain beauty by trade or payment. A culture based on that falsehood is a culture fooling itself, twice over. First, by convincing ourselves that we see beauty when we're only looking at carefully engineered surfaces, and second by thinking we can reproduce it and profit from it.

True beauty is hard to describe, or recognize. Glossy veneers are easier to accept, easier to sell. Beauty is not what a crowd agrees is beautiful. Often, beauty is really downright hard to look at. So we avert our eyes. And our hearts.

Beauty is present in a martyr's death. It is in selfless and non-seeking sacrifice, which is not of this world, and therefore is not seen as important in a culture of glitter and glam and you just gotta be yourself and love yourself mentality.

Lord, have mercy upon me. I, a product of this world, am most familiar with the glossy version of "beautiful", and it doesn't feel nice to look upon God's beauty, something which is pure and unadulterated. It is not present in overwhelming emotion, but in quiet contemplation. Beauty is not normal, perfected, or exactly reproducible.






But what the hell do I know. I can say I know suffering, and the beauty that can come from it.

What's that mean? It means nobody wants to buy Britney Fears.