by Rob Field, CSW Director
Beauty is healing, and our world’s never been in greater need. So I say: bring on spring — the more beauty, the better.
The great religions seem to know that beauty brings healing. Yet some religions have had an odd relationship with beautiful images. The Abrahamic religions all have some type of prohibition against “graven images.” They’re concerned beautiful images might become objects of worship. This concern was uppermost when some Protestant leaders insisted that churches be unadorned by images, except perhaps a simple cross. Similar thinking informs the design of Islamic mosques, most of which are barren of images except verses of the Qur’an in Arabic.
In the face of the breath-taking beauty of spring or a stunning work of art, I can imagine myself moving unconsciously from awe to something closer to devotion. That said, there’s no valid reason for spiritual concern. I’m like most other people I know: our souls move naturally from wonder to gratitude for the creator — the ultimate Source of all beauty. So let’s soak in all the beauty, awe, and gratitude we can handle in the coming weeks. We’ve been waiting for this — for a long time.
image by Jill Wellington via Pexels