Beauty and Affliction
One of my dearest friends, Judy Lewis, posted this entry on her blog Exhale, and I had to pass it on to you. Judy and I have grown up together throughout the past 25 years, I adore her, and I think you might enjoy her, too. So relax, exhale, and ponder beauty.
"There are only two things that pierce the human heart.
One is beauty.
The other is affliction."Simone Weil
"Because this is so true, we must have a measure of beauty in our lives proportionate to our affliction. No, more. Much more. Is this not God's prescription for us? Just take a look around. The sights and sounds, the aromas and sensations—the world is overflowing with beauty. God seems to be rather enamored with it. Gloriously wasteful. Apparently, he feels that there ought to be plenty of it in our lives."John Eldredge, The Journey of Desire.
Tomorrow is the anniversary of my baby sister's death by a traumatic brain injury (TBI); she was only 47. In the months following, I found myself regularly bringing home fresh flowers from Publix. Watering, arranging, inhaling, beholding. A gentle reminder that beauty still existed in my sad days.
Similarly, I moved to NYC after 9/11 for a few months. I'd often pick from the street markets generous bouquets of fresh, bright flowers to put in my hotel room. "Beauty soothes," artist Mako Fujimura told me at the time.
Something in me knew I needed beauty in affliction. God put that in me. And He has provided proportionately. Beauty soothes.
To enjoy more of Judy’s guidance, meet with her online at 11 am today for a Maundy Thursday guided practice event. During this season of quarantine, she’s offered online Friday guided practices as well.