I have found great healing from recent encounters with the spirituality expressed in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Indeed I find it wonderfully rich and insightful in being human in relationship with others and in relation to the LORD. Some months ago I heard a wonderful Podcast from Fr. Stephen Freeman about "establishing" the existence of God through the argument of the existence of beauty. It was an intriguing concept - proof using beauty. Today I found this comment from one of my favourite Blogs, Pithless Thoughts by Steven Robinson. I removed the reference to the Blessing of the Waters service because we Anglicans do not have anything that relates to such a liturgy. None-the-less, the Orthodox concept of 'beauty' can bring much healing in our hearts and minds, in our relationships with each other, and in our relationship with God.
LORD have mercy, Brian+
"Unless we look at a person and see the beauty there is in this person, we can contribute nothing to him. One does not help a person by discerning what is wrong, what is ugly, what is distorted. Christ looked at everyone he met, at the prostitute, at the thief, and saw the beauty hidden there. Perhaps it was distorted, perhaps damaged, but it was beauty none the less, and what he did was to call out this beauty." Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
We have no time to meditate on darkness or on the evil that lives in this world. That is the work of the devil. We have the heart only to see goodness and to rejoice in it. This is the meaning of the scripture that says, “To the pure all things are pure.” Impure hearts rejoice in darkness. Let that not be so of us.
Let us participate every moment of our lives in the calling out of the beauty of creation, of our neighbors, of our friends and our enemies and yes, even our own beauty. “How glorious is God’s Name above all the earth!”
Orthodox concept of beauty very much like the teaching of Jean Vanier, founder of the L'Arche Community.
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, Jean Vanier also came to my mind when I read this. I have found that his teaching has helped me to grow in my encounters with disabled students.
ReplyDeleteThanks Walter and Stella. I shall have to read some books about Vanier's work. What I love about this 'concept of beauty' is that it peels away the damaging effects of viewing others with moralistic paradigms, thus moving us away from judgmentalism. This would surely be helpful in such settings as you mentioned, Stella. Probably helpful in all social settings.
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