Because of more than normal events swirling around me this week, I'm not going to cover chapter four as I had intended, but we'll do that next week, the Lord willing.
This time I'd like to simply add a bit more to the "Longing for Beauty", which was last week's chapter; what I want to share is in the form of a quote from a wonderful book, "The Evidential Power of Beauty, Science and Theology Meet" by Thomas Dubay. (By the way, I highly recommend this book!)
Dubay says this about beauty:
"It is easy to note the difference between the person affected by natural beauty and the one seized by the beauty of Christ...Consummate splendor in monstrous horror: the Passion and Crucifixion of the Lord of glory...The beauty here is the unspeakable love of the Father and the Son for ungrateful sinners...
"Far, far beyond all created beauties is the divine glory that shines out from this unsurpassable love found in the torture of Holy Week: Perfection Himself whipped to blood, crowned with thorns, mocked, spit upon, ridiculed, nailed, pierced - all because He loves you and me, who have in return sinned against Him. In this consummate ugliness, this unspeakable outrage, shine a picture of divine beauty immeasurably beyond all earthly splendors..."
Dubay's contention throughout the book is that all beauty points to Jesus and that the ultimate satisfaction of this innate hunger for beauty is to be found in looking to Him and contemplating the beauty of such poured-out love for ungrateful sinners as seen in the cross of Christ.
Lord Jesus, thank You for pouring Yourself out; Father, thank You for pouring Yourself out in Your Son; and Holy Spirit, thank You for loving the Father and Son and empowering us to know their ravished love and to love them back...what a wonderful salvation!!! Thank You that we'll have all eternity to gaze upon this Beauty and discover the wonders of God's love forever and ever. Come to us in increasing measure so that our united cry becomes, "Come, Lord JEsus!"
Grace and blessings on you this week!
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