Much as God writes His law of right vs. wrong on our hearts, He also gives every human being an innate sense of beauty. Nature is not just functional, it is unquestionably beautiful. God turned His Creation into a work of art. Every sunrise and every sunset is amongst the most beautiful of paintings. You do not have to explain to a small child that nature is beautiful, they inherently know it.

 

Just as the innate sense of morality God places within us allows us to recognize right from wrong, the innate sense of beauty He places within us allows us to recognize beautiful from ugly. And just as our innate sense of right vs. wrong drives us to create governments and written laws, the innate sense of beauty we all experience inspires us to create works of art.

 

Our innate sense of right vs. wrong and our innate sense of beauty are inseparably and undeniably tied to one another. An act of kindness is a beautiful thing. When we lie, cheat or steal, we feel ugly inside. In art and literature, the forces of good are typically portrayed as physically beautiful, and the forces of evil as physically ugly.

However, the old cliché that beauty is only skin deep is not true, and this is portrayed in art and literature as well.

 

Stories and fables are full of examples of the monstrous, animalistic brute, incapable of moral reasoning, who nonetheless is pacified by the beauty of a fair maiden. This sense of beauty drives the brute to perform acts which the audience recognizes as moral, courageous, and just. The brute risks its own life to keep the fair maiden safe from harm. Such stories give the slightest hint that the innate sense of beauty God puts within us may form the very foundation of our sense of right vs. wrong.

 

Movies and literature are also full of examples of the villain who temporarily deceives an unsuspecting village or town with their outward beauty and charm. Often, this outward beauty is but a thin disguise. The disguise is stripped away when the villain’s true evil intent and nature are exposed, revealing a physically grotesque or monstrous bodily form just beneath the surface of the disguise. Other stories tell of the physically ugly or grotesque hero or heroine who nonetheless has a heart for doing good. Typically this person must overcome cruelty motivated by the fear and ignorance of others. By the end of the story, the hero’s or heroines’ true beauty is revealed by their just actions, and the respect and admiration of those who once loathed them are earned. Often, this outward physical ugliness turns out to be a thin disguise as well, stripped away once the character’s true inner beauty is evident to all, revealing a person who is also physically beautiful. True beauty transcends mere outward appearance.

 

The creation of art is the expression of this sense of beauty we all find within ourselves. This creation is not automatic…it is a labor of love that requires hard work and decision making. With each and every stroke of a paint brush, placement of a note, or typing of a word, the artist must look within themself and decide…is what I am creating beautiful, does it express what I sense inside? The artist’s own sense of beauty, derived from God, is ultimately the sole guide.

 

Life itself is an art. Each and every decision we make, action we take, and relationship we form will ultimately create the life we live. And just as in painting a picture, writing a book, or composing a song, each and every decision we make, if the life we live is to be a beautiful one, requires that we pay attention to that inner sense of beauty, that inner sense of right and wrong, we all have inside.

If you choose to live this way, at the end of your life on earth, you will be able to look back and see…a work of art.