BEAUTY

“Beauty is the harvest of presence, the evanescent moment of seeing or hearing on the outside what already lives far inside us; the eyes, the ears or the imagination suddenly become a bridge between the here and the there, between then and now, between the inside and the outside; beauty is the conversation between what we think is happening outside in the world and what is just about to occur far inside us.” (italicized are mine) David Whyte

Beauty as the conversation between our inner being and outer reality affirms the familiar adage of “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I resonate with the word conversation. The liminal conversation reveals what was once hidden inside due to the relentless energy of beauty that gently engulfs like the waves hitting the shore. If we only say yes to the beauty outside. . . That “if” takes courage to see beyond and to linger which is to say be patient, and also not to be pummeled by what others see or like. What others see as beauty may not be ours because it is not our time to unlock what is inside us.

Beauty is intimate and personal, otherwise it is not beauty. It must hit the ground, the ground of our being. Rumi sees. “Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” There are hundreds if not tens of thousands or billions of ways to be intimate. Beauty is not out there but on the “ground” like the snow softly blanketing the ground or nature putting on a show exclusively for our eyes. For beauty to be beauty, it has to be concrete and real (subjective experience) not according to others or some systems but by each of our unique ways of being.

If we allow beauty to touch and infiltrate our being, we inevitably begin to reflect that beauty in all aspects of our lives. This act of living is not triggered by external realities detached from who we are; rather, we recognize beauty because it affirms our present longings. The external beauty we recognize reinforces the beauty within us. Thus, love-filled actions stem from our innate nature. In other words, outer beauty awakens our inner longing and gives significance to what we have always known. Beauty and longing are inextricably linked. It serves as a way for God or the Cosmos to connect with the deepest part of our soul.

It is precisely “hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground” that builds my faith and affirms my path of spiritual direction (whether in individual or group). By embracing “hundreds of ways,” I am rejecting the cultural proprieties (even if proven) or any other systemwide thinking that one way or a way is better than all the others. Fundamentally, I cannot imagine God to be that parochial. (I asked ChatGPT just now how many species of butterflies are in the world. Its’ reply? 17,500 kinds.)

This past week, I have witnessed beauty in the most unexpected place, from someone’s deathbed. Since this is not my story to tell, I will not go into detail. Beauty emerges from unspeakable suffering, pain, and agony. Beauty comes in the name of tenderness, grace, and joy against all hope. Beauty is disguised as God’s goodness in humanity. Though they are ever so fleeting and temporal, it has the power to transform and hope for eternity. While facing directly the face of death, beauty refuses to back down and generates hope as a tangible gift to all who have been standing by and offering prayers. Life arises out of impending death. Beauty is power and hope even amid doubt and suffering.

Beauty as “the harvest of presence” reflecting congruency between the inner and outer worlds resonates deeply. The hope my friend and his family possess is affirmed by flickering glimmers of hope-light from the outside. In fact, beauty as hope does not flicker or glimmer; instead, it shines like a bright neon light in our favorite colors.