There are many ordinary beauties we see everyday that regularly refresh and restore our souls. But occasionally we witness a beauty so profound that it catches us off guard – leaving us feeling unworthy and undone to even gaze upon it. And there is a sense in which we should take off our shoes because we’re walking on holy ground.
This might happen as the glory of a sunset breaks through the clouds at the end of an otherwise mundane day, or we’re awed by the majesty of an impressive landscape. To be sure, the beauty of nature often takes our breath away and we’re left feeling humbled and small in the midst of God’s grand universe.
Likewise, witnessing the embodied splendor of each other might be another moment. There are some who are clearly more beautiful than most. And this is both their gift and their burden. Even still, just a glimpse can be overwhelming for us because it’s rare that we get to see such a pure reflection of God’s glory. Who am I that I have been allowed to see such grandeur?
When Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord in his Temple, he too felt undone in the presence of such holiness. Yet he was cleansed and then commissioned to speak on behalf of God.
We need this cleansing as well so that the beauty we see we don’t try to selfishly possess, control, or consume. Rather our gaze transcends what we see with our physical eyes – catching a glimpse of God’s invisible glory that shines through it. In this way, we can bless and affirm the image bearers as icons without making them idols. And perhaps now with our elevated vision we help others to see God through the devastating beauty he allows to exist in his world.
In the end, to be undone by beauty is to be transformed by it – stripped of all pride, selfishness, and pretense. And it’s in this state of humility we’re invited to carry that small glimpse of God’s glory with us, letting it shape how we see the world and honor the beauty we see in others.
