Scripture tells us we are to be a peculiar people:
“But ye are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that
ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.”
1 Peter 2:9
And, most of the time, that doesn’t seem to stack up well against our limited definitions of beauty.
Yes, we have opened up more variance with image, reflecting multicultural, unique features. Still, we often seem to like to fall back on what is widely known, accepted and comfortable. Ergo, for example, tall, thin, blue eyes, blonde hair, on Caucasian skin tones.
Yet, scripture, once again, gives us a blanket assessment of our value and yes, our inherent beauty:
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”
Psalm 139:14
There are no qualifiers; there is no preference given concerning a hierarchy.
“…‘God
is no respecter of persons.’”
Acts
10:34
There is only the definitive assurance we are spectacular.
I like Charles Bauderlaire’s statement on beauty.
“Beauty always has an element of strangeness...simple, unintended unconscious strangeness which gives it the right to call it beauty.”
Beauty transcends cultural image. It’s about the surprise element. It’s about the unusual, the rare, that thing we cannot put our finger on which attracts us. The “je ne sais quoi” of it all.
We don’t appreciate that “je ne sais quoi” element nearly as much as we should. Yet, come on. The Most High, in all of His Glory, revels in that enigmatic concept.
And we are made IN His Image:
“So God
created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female created he them.”
Genesis 1:27
Each of us needs to challenge the beauty definition presented to us.
What are the judgments in that definition?
What are the restrictions?
The entitlements?
The punishments?
There’s more going on concerning the question/statement of beauty, a/k/a, acceptance, than just an aesthetic.
The Most High created beauty, certainly. But He didn’t create it to be a weapon used against His Creation.
Sadly, we are the ones who do that.
In this world, it seems we cannot avoid the power of the beauty image. It exists as a money maker, a political tool, an oppressive weapon and unfortunately, yes, a teacher of lies...
“What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath
graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work
trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood,
Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with
gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.”
Habakkuk 2:18-19
And all of these factors are to the detriment of anyone deemed “peculiar,” in any way.
We need to look beyond the surface of image, beauty and appearance.
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5
What do those things truly mean to and for us?
And, while we’re searching, we would benefit from keeping another helpful scripture in mind on the subject matter:
“And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good...”
Genesis 1:31
The determination is “good,” no matter if it...
...is strange...
...is unfamiliar...
...is different...
...is unexpected...
...is unlike the accepted image definition of the culture and time...
...is peculiar...
Again...
“And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good...”
Genesis 1:31
We need to get over ourselves already.
We need to stop clinging so tightly to some mandated, unrealistic, unhealthy image definition of what makes us beautiful, valuable, acceptable and “enough.” We are all of those things inherently. Nothing needs to be added.
Instead of punishing what isn’t “cookie cutter” about us, what if we celebrated it?
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”
Psalm 139:14
That’s a celebration worth attending.
Copyright © 2019 by Sheryle Cruse
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