“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” are words attributed to Irish novelist, Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, in her novel Molly Bawn.

“Beautiful!” That word captures our response to a number of different experiences. There are times when that word might pass through our lips as we view a stunning visual like a sunset or work of art. That word might emerge when we hear an elegant sound from a vocalist or guitar soloist. Still other times, it might be a flawless feat of athleticism or when you witness a selfless act of kindness. Our concepts of beauty can be as varied as we are.

When I think of beauty, I think of my wife, Gwen. Her beauty, inside and out, moves me to exclaim, “Beautiful!” I still remember the stunning visual of her turning the corner at the back of the Sanctuary to come up the aisle with her father at our wedding. There is a picture of Gwen in her wedding dress on my office desk.

Since that great day, I’ve been exposed to her wisdom, her strong sense of justice for others, her kindness, her love to of cooking for others, her love for family, and her love for Jesus. I have not seen any flawless feats of athleticism yet, but in the eye of this beholder, Gwen is beautiful!

Have you ever wondered what God considers beautiful? He tells us in Psalm 133.

The Lord combines two words—good and pleasant—to express great delight. Some scholars say it describes a “serene sense of wonder.” Beautiful is a fitting way to understand those words.

Our Lord is moved to proclaim, “Beautiful!” when He sees believers—brothers and sisters—living together in harmony. When unity characterizes the attitudes and actions of those in the family of God, He is delighted. More robust than unity, beautiful describes the trajectory of what Luke calls “one heart and one mind” (Acts 4:32). When everyone is focused on the Lord and serving one another selflessly, the Lord calls that beautiful.

The Lord offers two images to help us understand. While they do not translate as well to the twenty-first century, we can grasp the excitement they would have in the land of Israel three thousand years ago.

The first image is “precious oil upon the head” (133:2). This oil, described as running down Aaron’s beard and clothing, symbolized the anointing of the Spirit to give Aaron, the High Priest, guidance and strength. As it ran over the twelve stones (representing tribes of Israel) on his breastplate, it symbolized the unity of the Jewish believers.

The second image is that of the “dew of Hermon.” Mount Hermon stands at almost 10,000 feet just north of Israel. Given that its three peaks are covered in snow most of the year, melting runoff helps form the headwaters of the Jordan River. Dew of Hermon symbolizes water for an arid land. Water refreshes and invigorates the land.

Unity refreshes our hearts and invigorates our minds as a community of believers. Not simply because there is a lack of unease between us but because we exercise our mission in this world with one heart and one mind. We are known by our deep love for one another. The Spirit unites us (1 Cor 12:13). Jesus prayed that we would impact each other’s lives in this manner (Jn 17). When we act together, we honor and glorify God. And the world takes notice.

The attitudes of many hearts acting in concert together touches God’s heart deeply. Kind and loving actions that have us moving toward one another instead of avoiding one another are always a stunning visual to our Lord. A church family with hearts, voices, and minds united in worship become an elegant sound in God’s ears.

Thank God for uniting our church family with a desire to act out of love for one another. May our intercession for these requests today cause our Lord to exclaim, “Beautiful!”

Love and blessings,
Dave