Meandering thoughts November 10, 2019
By Dan McDonald
I’ve been working long hours the
past couple of weeks. I’ve had passing thoughts I thought might be interesting if developed and written out, but most fell by the wayside as the days progressed. A 72 hour work week can be tiring even if the work is only moderately demanding.
My first meandering thought collected
in recent days might be helpful for many of us writers. The difficulty in writing is seldom that we don't have something to write about. Our difficulty is finding one thing to write about, and then developing and streamlining it so others can enjoy reading it. The old analogy concerning fire is a good one. If fire is allowed to roam free in your house, it will destroy everything. But if it is contained beneath a pan or within a heating unit, we can be well fed and kept warm. The difficulty with writing is finding a topic to develop and a way of focusing thoughts on a subject so that the finished writing will bring light and warmth to the reader along with feeding the reader's soul and imagination.
In recent days, Bishop Walter Banek made his visit to our church. At one point he commented on the importance of beauty in worship. Beauty is more important than we sometimes give it credit in a world seeking pragmatic solutions. I have learned from people who studied Hebrew that the word in Genesis expressing how God saw his creation and called it "good" could also be translated as God saw that it was "beautiful." Beauty is written into the world in which we live. As I have thought about the place of beauty in the creation it is gradually giving me a new mission to my writing. Truth and goodness should be intertwined with a vision of beauty.
I am gradually realizing that as we minimize the importance of beauty in our writings on issues, we are left with increasing divisions and alienations in our human issues, whether they be political, theological, or even if we are talking of the old boomer and the younger generations cultural perspectives. Beauty is the category, which more than goodness and truth, is used to issue a sense of attractiveness to the reader. It is one thing to show something to be morally good, and also something to show it to be true in a world where differing perspectives make differing claims about what is true. All too seldom we present little reason to see in what we advocate a sense of beauty.
The prophets didn't make that error. They spoke of goodness and called us to repentance. They spoke of truth as light to guide us. They also spoke of beauty. They looked forward to a changed world where lions and lambs enjoy one another's company; and where both young men and maidens prophesy and speak truth. The prophet's message was never complete without a vision of beauty for the coming world being promised to us as we repented from our sins and as we thought guided by God's truth. We see this in Jesus' teachings as he promises rest to the weary, a burden that is light, or a place where there are many dwelling places where those who are blessed might live in harmony. This is a horrible omission to the way we try to convince one another of truth and goodness. We often argue with others as mortal enemies, when we should offer a vision of beauty designed to invite others into what we see as a good life. Can you imagine how different our debates would be if we were all seeking to win others with a vision of beauty flowing out of our concepts and beliefs and good ways of life? So to myself and to others, remember beauty, remember the tie that binds, enlightens, and shapes us to live really well and not to just live correctly or pragmatically.
I think I will conclude here. Remember beauty. Remember not just to debate, but to try to enlighten, encourage, and invite others to a vision of beauty for a soul needing rest, and for those journeying as aliens and strangers needing hospitality as they seek their way home. No wonder Dostoyevsky said "Beauty will save the world."
