There is so much ugliness in the world today, it is easy to lose heart.
I look at the news today. The familiar words are always there in the headlines. Slain, killed, gunfire erupts, and "state of emergency". I wonder at times why the Lord bothers, how he can possibly see anything worth saving with us.
This past weekend my wife and I were in Washington DC. Yesterday we visited the National Gallery of Art.
Just walking into that building, I could see how beautiful it is. The columns that soar to the ceiling, the fountains, the natural light. Then room after room of paintings and sculptures of all kinds, from all periods in history. Plenty of room to walk around, look at them, wonder about the hands that made them. Without a doubt my favorite was the Da Vinci on display. A very rare treat, it's the only one in the United States.
It refreshed my soul.
I saw that we are capable of creating things of great beauty. And then, arranging them so that people can freely see them. The National Gallery of Art is free to the public, as are most of the sites in DC.
What else is free for us to enjoy?
You don't have to travel to a museum to see these things. Beauty is all around us, in nature and the people we meet every day.
But we have to look to see them.
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Phil 4:8 (NIV)
