Beauty Intended

The Rhythms of Beauty

Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. 

Hebrews 4:11

Creator and Beauty, 

On day one 

you turned on the lights 

in a world that was dark, 

filled with empty space,

in timeless disarray, 

but pregnant with promise

for your Spirit was hovering.

On day two

you made a home for the sky, 

dwelling for the color blue

and blanket for the waters below.

On day three

you gathered the seas

and made land appear,

a canvas for shades of green

accented by fun-colored flowers

announcing the fruits for our food. 

On day four

you hung the sun from the sky

to greet each day with delight.

You sprinkled twinkling lights

to dance away through the night.

On day five

you sent the fish to swim 

and the birds to fly,

large creatures playing in the sea,

winged animals gliding across the sky.

On day six

you filled the earth 

with herds of all kinds. 

Crawling creatures and wildlife

adorning the shades of green. 

You fashioned humans on day six;

your very hands molding clay

to mirror your very self,

to steward the earth and subdue it. 

All that you made was good.

Beauty created 

for your pleasure and ours,

a playground to care for, 

a communion garden.

The beauty created was good.

On day seven,

you rested.

[Pause]

Then the lying serpent 

crawled between you and us. 

Holy communion 

between God and his image

disrupted by crawling sin.

The lights went off in our souls

when beauty created 

became beauty intended. 

Now all of our ailments 

bear footnotes,

“That’s not what our Creator intended.” 

We feel it every day,

creeping up our souls,

the rebellion of our humanity

against pure Wisdom and Beauty.

Now, like animals

we’re eating each other.

Sin has made us cannibals;

our words are as sharp as molars. 

Like the world on day one,

our souls feel empty and void. 

Hearts in disarray, 

longing for peace and hope.

So you sent us your Son

and the serpent was crushed.

Your very self in the flesh

transformed beauty intended

into beauty re-created.

Now all of our ailments 

bear footnotes of hope,

“One day Jesus will come

and everything God intended

will be finally consummated.”

Beauty intended,

re-created through Jesus,

fully consummated

when he comes to wed us.

Perfect sabbath at last! 

Jesus, our Bridegroom,

Help us strive to enter your rest,

make us long to your beauty behold,

grant us peace in communion’s embrace,

help us clasp the grace in your rest.

Amen