Dex here

Beauty in Substance and Form

I reblogged “Beastly and the Beast” awhile ago, but I had some thoughts how the issue of the beauty in substance and in form.

I thought of this in the thinking of music. Specifically of how they relate to each other. The substance (typically lyrics) and its form (all the music and such), both can be seen as beautiful, but the true beauty I would say is in its substance. Even if it is strictly without words, the substance would be the purpose and the intent of the piece. When the song is Amazing Grace, we don’t set it to a tune like Yankee Doodle or something. The form must match the substance. And God made us, and his creation is beautiful. So we are all ugly inside, but should our form match our substance in Christ? That could easily slip into some legalistic craze, but I think God kinda works it out for us. When we begin to see Christ in others, we consider them beautiful inside and out. Especially when that comes to spouses. They view each other as more and more beautiful over the years as their loves grows for one another.

The point is that beauty from the view of eyes is not evil, but, as knowing that this world is passing away and we are looking to the New Heavens and Earth, then it should be of incredibly lower importance compared to our beauty in Christ. Balance ‘form reflecting substance’ and “[we] who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:4b ESV). Read Romans 8 and that helps clarify things.

ironwingicarus:

     Beauty and the Beast is a wonderful story. A beautiful girl learns to see past herself to see the inner beauty of another. Very Poetic. Then she kisses him and he becomes a handsome prince. I think Shrek is more poetic, though. A beautiful woman falls in love with an Ogre, then turns into an ugly ogre. I mean our world is full of ugly people, loved by God. I think life might seem more beautiful if we raised our children on stories that would teach them that love creates beauty, not the other way around. Would you still like the story if it was Beastly and the other equally Beastly Beast? My thoughts on the damage done to beauty.

Read More