A professor once reminded me of the need to be intentional about seeking beauty, especially when counseling in the area of abuse and trauma. During each class break she would post pictures from Cute Overload, a blog featuring various cute animals. While the fury animals didn’t always stir my soul, the point was still well taken. We need regular reminders that beauty exists.
Even in a world of indescribable pain, suffering, and brokenness, profound beauty remains. And beauty reminds us of God’s infinite goodness.
To be sure, in the midst of terrorist attacks and the death of love ones it is easy to have our attention arrested by such overwhelming negative events, not to mention cancer, sex trafficking, past due bills, and that gnawing sense we have to prove our worth by staying busy.
Even still, beauty and joy are available if we have the eyes to see.
And so, beauty hunting is an apt description. We need beauty to heal and restore our souls, but we must often hunt for it.
Spend some time beauty hunting today. Where will you look? How will you open yourself up to beauty around you? Check out the linked article above for some ideas to get you started.
‘Only two things pierce the human soul,’ Simone Weil wrote, ‘One is beauty. The other is affliction.’ She was right. Beauty is unique in its power. Not only to pierce the human soul, but even more to unlock it so that Love can come in and hope can win.
