Beauty Leads the Way
Beauty in nature has often been the catalyst for spiritual epiphanies or ecstasies. That's because beauty is a harbinger of God, a sign of his existence. Beauty leads people to God.
Jeremy Casella played for us recently in a Living Room concert. One of the songs he sang, “Beauty Leads the Way,” lyrically encapsulates this thought:
Look in the spaces
Where the separation thins
To dislocated cracks of light
Under the surface
Up above it’s all the same
You’re everywhere but hard to find
For the longing the aching and the call
There is no denying you at all now
Beauty leads the way
Beauty leads the way
To the glory of the world
We were made for
Beauty leads the way
Beauty takes so many forms, from Himalayan poppies to Beyonce', from Albert Bierstadt to Michael Jackson's dancing, from the clothes Indian women wear to baby laughter, from Texas sunsets to Beethoven's Ode to Joy, from the scent of lilacs to the love between old married couples. When we recognize beauty, the separation thins between heaven and earth. The barrier keeping God beyond our vision cracks and the light breaks through. Let's open our eyes and see where God leaves traces of Himself on this earth.
(Jeremy’s latest album is Death in Reverse, and the theme of the album focuses on redemption and resurrection. I love the melodies and orchestration of the songs, but also the poignant poetry.)
