A vehicle for hope
I think the recognition of beauty is one of God's greatest gifts to us. Sometimes it's enough to simply feel a sunset, hear the laughter of a child, or smell something that reminds us of a pleasant memory - because beauty is often not just one thing; and sometimes the inclusion of one aspect of beauty can help us appreciate another. God's funny like that. It's exceptionally useful when there doesn't seem to be any; when things are genuinely horrific; when the people around you are empty, or evil; when chronic pain makes it hard to even sleep, let alone dream. It is times like these that the gentle reminder that hope exists is priceless. And beauty is a vehicle for hope. It doesn't have to ONLY convey hope. It can convey love. Or discontent. Or frustration. Or any number of things. But, on some level, the part of a human that can recognize incomprehensible wonder, the part that can connect to one's childhood, and the part that can receive forgiveness are all...