Pricey Christian, Do not Dismiss Magnificence – Nicely-Watered Ladies
A number of years in the past, a good friend invited me and my spouse to their magnificent dwelling in Hawaii for a pleasant trip. Amongst our host’s many suggestions of eating places, ice cream retailers, seashores, and climbing trails was a listing of the ten finest spots to observe the sundown. It intrigued us, and we went to identify primary on our first afternoon there. We weren’t alone in our maneuvering of seashore chairs to safe the very best vantage level for the momentous occasion. A celebration environment permeated the realm, with toasting of drinks, telling of jokes, and sharing of tales of the day’s occasions.
However because the solar lowered towards the horizon, all laughter, chit-chat, and clinking of glasses ceased as all eyes gazed on the silent symphony earlier than us. You could possibly really feel a palpable sense of awe. When the solar lastly dipped beneath the horizon, with a culminating splash of spectacular orange on the final nanosecond, the group erupted in applause. Each night after that, we dared not miss the inspiring showcase of God’s grandeur.
The Objective of Magnificence
However why does magnificence captivate us a lot? Why can we stand in lengthy traces to stare at work by Van Gogh? Why do performances of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos get excessive precedence in folks’s fastidiously trimmed budgets? And the way can we clarify that, after we hearken to music—an artwork type that should be skilled in time—we really feel as if time stands nonetheless?
The reply to those questions will be acknowledged in a couple of seconds however will take all eternity to totally respect: God creates magnificence as a result of he is a stupendous God. He locations tips to the everlasting within the on a regular basis. He delights to offer us delights.
Why Do We Concern It?
However not all Christians know what to do with magnificence. Some concern it’s going to flip into idolatry and we’ll find yourself hugging timber. Or we’ll fall so in love with the present that we’ll neglect the Giver. These are certainly very actual risks, given the pure bent our sinful hearts have towards worshiping different issues (any issues) as an alternative of God.
Different Christians dismiss or ignore pure magnificence and the humanities as a result of “it is all going to burn” and people issues are “temporal, not everlasting.” A primary response to this type of reductionism is to query whether or not music, artwork, and sweetness actually are solely temporal. Will not we be singing in heaven? May or not it’s a stunningly stunning place? Perhaps our appreciation of earthly magnificence is only a gown rehearsal for the everlasting live performance and artwork gallery we’ll take pleasure in eternally earlier than the gorgeous throne of our stunning Savior.
A Magnificence-Stuffed Response
A second response is to think about that, if we preserve second issues second, we are able to nonetheless worship God as the one One worthy of first place in our hearts. Jesus instructed us to hunt first the dominion, not search it solely (Matt. 6:33). Husbands should love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, minds, and energy (Mark 12:28–30). However they’re additionally commanded to like their wives as Christ loves the church (Eph. 5:25). We are able to love God most and love different issues second and nonetheless discover nice pleasure alongside the best way. Actually, secondary love of secondary issues can improve our final love for our final God.
No one has mentioned this higher than C. S. Lewis in his nice sermon, “The Weight of Glory”: “The books or the music wherein we thought the sweetness was situated will betray us if we belief to them; it was not in them, it solely got here via them, and what got here via them was longing. These items—the sweetness, the reminiscence of our personal previous—are good photographs of what we actually need; but when they’re mistaken for the factor itself they flip into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they aren’t the factor itself; they’re solely the scent of a flower we have now not discovered, the echo of a tune we have now not heard, information from a rustic we have now by no means but visited.”
Magnificence Transforms Us
These shows of magnificence can and may immediate doxology. They’ll additionally improve evangelism. Non-Christians don’t share our love for Jesus. However lots of them are drawn to magnificence. We are able to come alongside them, admire what they admire, and ask if it factors them past. We are able to inform them how nature, artwork, music, and plenty of different issues level us to God who made world for us to take pleasure in. I consider many individuals will discover this line of reasoning very enticing.
Peter Hitchens, brother of famed atheist Christopher Hitchens, got here to religion out of a deeply settled atheism when he couldn’t ignore the stark distinction between visible ugliness in Communist Russia and exquisite work in artwork museums. In a way, the architectural ugliness in Moscow made sense in gentle of the godless worldview that formed that tradition. However one thing inside him cried out for magnificence. When he noticed Thomas Hart Benton’s portray “Prodigal Son” within the Dallas Museum of Artwork, God used that have to attract Hitchens to the Savior. In some way, he sensed that God welcomes repentant prodigals, even ones who concern it is likely to be too late for them. God’s grace has infinite saving energy, and typically, God communicates that via finite artists.
Magnificence Ignites Worship
I’ve discovered that protecting second issues second is just not as tough as I as soon as feared. I attend live shows, stroll via artwork galleries, stare upon mountains, and revel in many different encounters with magnificence and say, “Thanks be to God.” I permit the tips to level to the One who noticed that “it was good” after he uttered, “Let there be…” (Gen. 1). So, I encourage Christians to benefit from the arts, discover the landscapes, enjoy live shows, and convey unbelievers alongside. Go scout out the very best locations to observe the sundown, pause lengthy sufficient to observe it disappear beneath the horizon—and applaud!
