The Kingdom of God: Beautiful on Purpose

When were you last moved by beauty? 

Maybe it was a beautiful sunset or a new song you’d not heard before. Perhaps a friend prepared you an exquisite meal, or you saw the work of a local artist. We find beauty all around if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. It is a gift from God that not only makes the world a little more pleasant to live in but also gives us a glimpse into the goodness of God’s creation and the hope we have in Jesus.

We can be tempted to think that beauty isn’t quite that important, but it seems to matter to God. God certainly didn’t have to create a world full of beauty and wonder. It would have been just as possible for this universe to have been dull and flat, and yet God chose to create something else. God chose to create a world full of complexity and surprise. At the climax of God’s creative endeavors is the declaration that creation is good, and this creation is beautiful. Therefore, we must consider the idea that in God’s eyes, beauty is good. 

Beauty Transforms, Unites, and Endures

Paul wants the church to give our attention to good things. In the closing of the book of Philippians, he exhorts the readers to think about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. In short, Paul invites us to spend time thinking about things that are beautiful. This isn’t simply because things that are beautiful are more pleasant than the alternative. Rather, there is something profound about the power of beauty in our lives. 

For starters, beauty transforms. When we are moved by something beautiful, be it art or music or a good meal, we are impacted in the deeper parts of our brain.  When we shape our brains with beauty, we internalize truths about creation that invite us into new ways of thinking or living. This transforming of our minds shapes us into people more equipped for the kingdom of God. It sets us on a path of pursuing the beautiful that we long to see come to life.  

Beauty also unites. Experiencing beauty with others gives us more than a shared experience, but shared meaning as well. We begin to operate as one with those around us as we share in a beautiful song or visit some lofty vista to gaze on God’s good work. I’ll never forget the time I got to see A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, by Georges Seurat at the Institute of Art in Chicago. This is a famous painting that shows up in countless art books but seeing it in person was an entirely different experience. 

On its own the piece was mesmerizing, but the gallery was also full of people sharing in the experience of being moved by this historic work. I didn’t just experience the beauty of the work; we all experienced it together and that made the moment even more impactful. The beauty of the painting filled the room, and we could leave knowing we’d experienced something unique with others that day. 

Finally, in and of itself, without need of purpose or productivity beauty endures. I was moved by this thought recently when I experienced the beauty and artistry of a local marching band competition. As the performance reached its crescendo, the combination of music, choreography, and set design came together powerfully. In that moment, I was moved by the realization that a performance like this was something that could be at home in the promised new creation we await for in Jesus’ return. Not because it was perfect, but because it was good. It was beautiful. In a world filled with injustice and violence and all the things we hope Jesus will make right one day, beauty will not be eradicated. In this way, beauty is a foretaste of the good new creation God has in store for us. 

Let Beauty Move You

Beauty isn’t just the decorative elements tacked onto the real world. Beauty draws us into a future that we otherwise cannot see. Appreciating beauty, or creating beautiful things, are not activities we do over and against working for justice either. Beauty is a part of what such work requires. Beauty in the world stands against the ugliness of sin and hate. Beauty illuminates the life made possible when people can live fully and breathe in the world.  

So, as we follow God and press on with Paul as citizens of heaven, what can we do? Consider what moves you. Pause to experience some of the things you love, looking for beauty that you may not have noticed. Then, prioritize beauty in your life. Make it a part of your day or your week. Carve out a block of time in your calendar to go for a walk, looking for the beauty of nature. Take a break in between classes and listen to a new album or try a new food. Share the experience of beauty with friends by attending a film or concert on campus. Train your beauty antennae to be on alert for what is good around you. And finally, create beauty. Create something that can endure because of its goodness and loveliness and allow that to be its entire purpose.

When we prioritize beauty, we give others a glimpse into the Kingdom of God. We stand in opposition to that which is not beautiful in the world as we know it, and we invite others to consider how in Jesus, we can hope for the beautiful things to win out. 

So, when have you been moved by beauty? Or maybe a better question might be, when is the next time you can make space to be moved by beauty again?