Reflection: Meeting with God: a place of beauty
One of my greatest pleasures is homemaking. I was inspired by seeing it well enacted by my mother, in other homes and cultures, also through higher education. But rooted even deeper, we share influences more primordial and sublime. We’re enveloped by the Creator’s genius, he’s gifted us with skills, and we’re tuned to the ethos of his own homemaking.
Scripture devotes 100 chapters or so to the architecture, craftsmanship and decoration of God’s various sanctuaries. You’d be forgiven for thinking God is obsessive about aesthetics and homemaking. Clearly, colour, texture, ambience, and pristine glory are significant on God’s scale of priorities. But remember, beauty is not just for beauty’s sake. Aesthetics take you on a path. They give hints. Just as my home gives lots of hints about who I am, what’s important to me, how family functions well…. so too, creation hints at its creator; and God’s temple sanctuary hints at his character, priorities, and worship culture.
With this sumptuous Temple-jewel set at the heart of God’s community, Israel, more often than not, didn’t bother attending to the clues. She offensively vacillated between glorifying the beauty itself or taking it for granted—false/showy worship or not worshipping God at all. Rather takes the shimmer off the gem, doesn’t it.
Which is why God, jealous for true worship, had a more epic and sure-fire home-making plan: to make his home in us.*
What does that masterpiece look like? And are you reading the clues?
Prayer:
Fresh and clean through Christ, Holy God, inhabit me. Bless and beautify this mysterious and humble body, your home address. May my life and work hint of your allure and turn heads and hearts to you.
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*Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”’ (John 14:23). ‘I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.’ (Ephesians 3:16-17)
Keep in mind: beyond reason, aesthetics communicate mystery. The mystery of God breeds awe and reverence….and that, in turn, inspires and orients us in his world.