The Beauty of the Infinite

So every once and awhile I like to read stuff that I know will really challenge my thinking and stretch my brain a little bit. So I went to the library and put on reserve a bunch of books that seemed interesting, one of which is The Beauty of the Infinite, by David Bentley Hart. I just started reading this today, and the introduction is already making my head hurt. I really hope I can get through it. But I came across this quote in reference to Beauty and how even in the worst situations, there is still an element of beauty if we can look beyond the situation, if we look for beauty we will always find it.

Beauty seems to promise a reconciliation beyond the contradictions of the moment, one that perhaps places time's tragedies within a broader perspective of harmony and meaning, a balance between light and darkness; beauty appears to absolve being of its violences

Somehow beauty shows us the promise of God and if we search that beauty the natural conclusion will be God, reconciliation with him and others. But if we ignore beauty then that will hinder our reconciliation. I think Christians don't realize the beauty in creation enough. We take it for granted. When was the lastime that you were blown away by a sunset and praised God for it? When was the last time you looked at the stars and marveled at God's creative power? When was the last time you saw a cross and marveled at the beauty of God's self sacrifice? When was the last time you were in community and were amazed in the beauty of a community fo grace? I've come to the conclusion that recognition of beauty is the first step to giving up your worry. I'm still thinking about Jesus telling his disciples not to worry, he turned to creation; the birds who have beauty in their song, their flight, their plumage, they don't store and toil God takes care of them. The flowers in all their colors don't worry about what they are going to wear, and God clothes them. If we can look at the beauty of creation and be marveled by God's beautiful provision, what would happen if we really took to heart Jesus' statement that we are more valuable than all of creation. We would be able to truly say that God is beautiful, his grace if beautiful and his provision is beautiful, and I can enjoy what I have, and I can live with out worry because he is with us, watching out for us, and showering down his love on us. That is truly beautiful.