Beauty by Alan Anderson

In preparation for this month’s post I concentrated on one theme. As a creative person I try to capture beauty through my writing and my attempts at photography. I love and need beauty.


See Beauty
Almost every day hummingbirds eat from the feeder by our living room window. Their feathers refract light and produce the vibrant colours hummers are famous for. They are a beauty and pleasing to the eyes.


Feel Beauty
I am a hugger. One of the tough experiences during these pandemic times is an absence of those I hug. For the most part my hugger partner is my wife. We enjoy our hugs even after forty-two years of marriage.


To hug is to feel the beauty of another person on an emotional level. To hug helps lower our stress from the cares of life. Hugs give us a sense of belonging, empathy, and love. Hugs remind us we are not alone.


Hear Beauty
There are times where music seems the only medium to calm souls and help drown out the noise of life. I enjoy music in the background when I write. There are three pieces of classical music I never become tired of hearing.

1. Agnus Dei, by Samuel Barber, is from John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” A sense of calmness permeates my soul and the words to write come flow on to the page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiuC_CaObbI

2. Miserere mei Deus, by Gregorio Allegri. The inspiration for this piece is taken from Psalm 51, where the psalmist pleads,

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin!”

What makes, Miserere mei Deus, beautiful is there are no musical instruments throughout the song other than voices. Readers if you listen to Miserere mei Deus, allow yourself the gift of non-activity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s45XOnYOIw


3. The musical masterpiece, “Hymn of the Cherubim,” by, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, is another magnificent way to calm one’s spirit as work progresses on a writing project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPlK5HwFxcw

Beauty in silence. 
The silence mentioned here is what we may term good silence. Good silence allows us to be still to enjoy or reap benefits from a moment. Like anything else worthwhile silence takes time and energy. The result can be memorable for a lifetime.


In my last year as a chaplain I had a memorable time with a particular patient. She suffered a stroke and could no longer speak. I sat by her bed and smiled at her. She smiled back and reached out her hand. I held her hand, and she squeezed mine. She squeezed my hand again and tears dropped from her eyes. This visit together did not need words. I will never forget this moment of silence with this lady as she nurtured my soul.


Words of Beauty
I pray my words will strive for beauty whether spoken or written. I pray my words will be truthful and edify those who read them.


My beloved InScribe family, considering the sorrow of our world today let us continue to write words of faith and life. Whatsoever is lovely can be our message and beauty will find its way into troubled hearts.

https://scarredjoy.ca/