Let me share some thoughts on beauty which arose in my mind after visiting a show of Aster and Chrysanthemum flowers at the international YWCA guest house. There were about 1000 flower pots on display. These pictures taken with a compact camera do not convey the ecstatic beauty inherent in these flowers.
What flowers represent is their 'given' beauty as shown through their colors, pattern, shape, petal formation, fragrance, and its delicate appearance in natural light. Many art lovers and trainees begin their journey into the world of art by dwelling on nature, particularly flowers.
The ability to appreciate beauty is cultivated by streams of thoughts expressed in human history, philosophy, Religious books, writings on nature, discoveries in the science of horticulture and floriculture, poets and their poems, and of course watching beautiful things such as pottery, artistic works, creative visual art, photographs and videos, etc.
When one draws experience of appreciating beauty from such a wide exposure, most people are moved by a sense of awe, wonder and suspense. It is this, Dr. Ravi Zacharias, a well known apolegetic communicator and expositor of philosophy of human mind, refers to as a movement within: 'to worship God in the beauty of His hoiliness'. Humans do not create beauty, but we replicate beauty. I recently discovered that in Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Sanskrit, the words beauty and character have some common roots. So beauty is more than external and certainly not limited to the exterior of the body.
Most artists portray beauty by painting different scenes of nature and humans. For many artists of modern times, beauty is also abstract as shown by their paintings. Most artists engage in painting women, their face, body, and in many different ways. The paintings of nude women are commonly seen in most art galleries. These are art forms of human imaginations. Most of them carry an erotic origin, intent, expression and appeal. There are exceptional paintings of artists, which create an inner experience of serenity and inspiration.
We are in an advertising era in commerce, business, retail market, media, etc. One common advertisement subject is women. What the advertisement media is encashing on, is the sensual appeal, women's body creates. Its origin was in in the entertainment media and now even for religious meetings, we have begun to use women as the subject of the advertisement.
I am appalled by this distortion of beauty by parading women's bodies in all forms of sensual appeal. It is a body exposure and has almost nothing to do with even a trace of beauty. It is exploitation of the sacred human body, in whom God is resident, for something less than sacred, often for a profane purpose. This is despising womanhood, for which women themselves and the designers of this advertisement medium are responsible.
Dr. Hans Burki, an adult educator and spiritual director, once said: 'Beauty is epitomized in women. When you look at a strange woman, look transiently at her face alone and not stair at any other parts of her body. You will be drawn towards a worshipful and grateful attitude. Every true appreciation of beauty draws us towards God and greater holiness is its effect upon us '.
Let me suggest, beauty has its origin in God. Every encounter with beauty will enhance God consciousness. This is the bench mark to decide, whether what we encounter is beauty or its perversion!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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