Beauty gets a lot of press and airtime. As goes the oft quoted phrase, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” That may be true — however is there an intrinsic beauty, as well as that which is perceived? I think so, otherwise it’s only relative, and a less-genteel version of the above phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” applies as well. There must be some absolute standard(s) for beauty akin to absolute truth. Let’s look at both.
Relative Beauty
Is anything that one loves beautiful? “Ugly mutts” or even purebreds might be frightening to some, but I’m sure both are loved and beautiful to an owner. A piece of music is likewise, depending on the “ear of the hearer.” Thus, beauty spans both the physical and metaphysical spectra. Is one’s response to some stimulus a function of one’s state of being, at the moment? For example, the exact same input (a baby crying) may be perceived as either beautiful (look, he’s trying to tell us something) or annoying. To an exhausted parent at the end of a busy day, a baby crying up a storm, might not look too beautiful.
I want to start with a picture of what beauty was meant to be, in contrast its commercialization by much of today’s media. My intention is not to offend those without a Biblical worldview — it is just the one I know best. I’m sure other worldviews have standards for beauty. Let’s first look at a Biblical worldview’s positive (good) depiction of beauty. Then, I will mention some of the bad and the ugly it has devolved into.
Beauty is meant to be a delight to the senses. It is always associated with a synergy among those senses, producing a euphoria greater than expected. Beautiful is most often used in the description of a woman or things personified as a woman, though not exclusively (handsome is an analogous descriptor used for a man). I’ll give some examples of each, but let’s begin with a woman.
That women have been personified as flowers, is likely due to both their inherent beauty and fragrance. In Song of Songs, the beauty of a woman, is elegantly described. It depicts how we can expect to see and be attracted to our opposite gender during courtship. Proverbs 31:10-31 describes the resultant — the beauty of a faithful wife. These verses in Proverbs are wonderfully condensed in 1 Peter 3:3-7, giving a picture of a beautiful marriage (see also Ephesians 5:22-27).
Commercial Beauty
“Madison Avenue” (MA) has used, for decades, the physical beauty of both men and women to sell their products. This is regardless of whether that product had anything to do with how the people in the ad or commercial looked or that the product was going to impact the looks of the customer. The product could have been a vacation somewhere. MA is relying on the “fantasy” in the mind of the viewer, to identify with the beauty, and thus, want the product. The psychology is basic, but the ends are not altruistic. The results of the “sale,” in the mind or product experience of the customer, may not be “beautiful.” If so, the ensuing unhappiness can lead to problems for the individual and potentially, for society.
We’ve all seen one aspect of Hollywood’s corruption in the abuse of actresses (and likely actors). Being a diehard romantic, I love a good story (movie, book, opera, play, etc.). In the case of movies, I am dismayed at the use of both foul language and explicit sex to move ratings toward the “adult content” end of the spectrum. If that’s what it takes to sell a movie (or other genre), then one hasn’t written and/or produced much of a film. Perhaps, the customer’s worldview has been warped by a constant bombardment of more and more explicit content as they get desensitized to its ugliness. The visual (fantasy) has overwhelmed the content to the extent that, in some cases, the story has no point – one is then on the doorstep of pornography. How do we obviate this corruption of the beauty of the human anatomy that results from appealing to the lust of the flesh?
Absolute Beauty
One can begin to find a way out of these insults to our senses. Is your worldview providing you the strength to resist the artificial beauty the media throws at us? We can guard “beauty” against (moral) relativism. Non-subjective standards are a good start. Wisdom might be another. Simply put, if one has the wisdom to see the slippery slope associated with relativistic norms for beauty, one is less likely to either begin or stay on such a slide. Since one’s standards issue from one’s worldview, then the information accepted within the bounds of those standards will shape one’s wisdom.
Much in the metaphysical can be considered beautiful: service to others, a “pure heart,” a creative mind, an intelligent design, and the wisdom to act with right motives. In Proverbs, the highest praise given to Godly wisdom, personified as a woman, is that it is beautiful. Other objects described as beautiful are the stars (Job 38:31), cities ( Ezekiel 16, 27, 28), nations (Ezekiel 31), Heaven (Psalm 48:2; 50:2) and finally, the Creator Himself (Psalm 27:4b). In Ecclesiastes 3:11, His creation is described: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Looking at all that engulfs us today, one might question the previous statement. However, if one looks at our origins, the first man and woman existed in perfect harmony with their environment and their Creator – everything was beautiful in the beginning. The perversion of all of that original beauty came via Satan and the first (Genesis 3) of countless lies that he continues to bombard us with. Thankfully, the Biblical worldview gives us the end of the story – Romans 8:21 tell us, “the Creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay.” That liberation will come, ultimately, when total perfection (beauty) is restored to the earth, as described briefly, in Revelation 21 and 22 – it might look like a continuation of what began in Eden.
Since Creation reflects the Creator, beauty was His idea. His requests for a beautiful tabernacle are chronicled in the book of Exodus – gold, silver, bronze, colored yarns and fine linen, fine wood, spices, fragrances, and stones. All this and more “that I [the Lord] may dwell in their midst.” A dwelling place with Him in heaven is filled with precious jewels, twelve of which are listed, among the walls of jasper and streets of gold (Rev 21:18-21). Does your worldview reflect the beauty of the Creation and the Creator? We can join with Him to cultivate true beauty, peace, and joy.
