"Beauty will save the world."
This oft-quoted line comes to us from Prince Myshkin, the titular protagonist of Fyodor Dostoevsky's classic novel, "The Idiot".
Myshkin is often portrayed as something of a Christ figure, a meek and humble man who sees beneath the surface of those around him and seeks to somehow rescue the lost souls around him. Of course, if you've read the book you know that beauty did not save the world, nor did it save Myshkin.
I'm fairly certain that Dostoevsky still believed in those words he put into the mouth of the doomed Prince Myshkin. The Prince had to fail, his vision of beauty had to fall short so that we could see that this weak Christ figure we believed in was no Christ at all, but a pale imitation, a jumbled amalgam of what we might imagine Christ to be - a weak, passive observer who loves deeply but who is powerless to transform the world around himself.
A true Christlike beauty reflects the power of beauty to effect change. It reflects the beauty of a love that would stop at nothing - even death on the cross - to win us over. The Gospel is a story of unsurpassed beauty, and it is that story which continues to change hearts and create a Kingdom of disciples who will work tirelessly to demonstrate for others the love that Christ first demonstrated for us.
For Bonnie and myself, this is the beauty which we pursue as we go out into the world. We invite you to join us on our journey as we look for this beauty in others and as we seek ways in which we can be a part of it ourselves.
As we become more and more caught up in the beautiful narrative of the Gospel, drowning out our fears and our insecurities, I believe we will be confronted by a beauty that will transform everything it touches. If we open our eyes fully to this beauty, we cannot help but be saved by it.
Evan
No comments:
Post a Comment