A Prayer About Beauty

When I feel drawn to the world’s values

DEAR LORD,

I love all things beautiful because I know that beauty—whether a sparkling waterfall, soaring eagle, canyon panorama, snowcapped mountain range, glorious sunset, innocent baby’s smile, toddler’s first halting steps and words, stirring symphony, inspiring cathedral, child’s painting, or master’s work of art—is because of you and from you. If I listen carefully and look closely, I quickly sense that beauty surrounds me and that these glorious sights and sounds can draw me closer to you as I celebrate your perfection. But I also know that the idea of beauty has been co-opted by the world, twisted and presented as a commodity, highlighting youthful, physical looks, sexual appeal, glamour. Airbrushed photos show physically enhanced celebrities posing as role models, the ideal. The whole presentation is so shallow and superficial . . . but enticing. And I confess that often I am drawn to those images and try to measure up. Forgive me, Lord. Help me remember that I am beautiful in your eyes, where it matters, and help me strive for your kind of beauty, inside and out.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a [person] who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. Proverbs 31:30