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 © 2020 by Sheryle Cruse
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