We have largely lost the knowledge of the power of Beauty to transform the world.
Few people will remember the name Friedrich “Fritz” Kreisler. But in the first half of the twentieth century he was one of the finest concert violinists and composers in the world. He earned a fortune through his concerts and his compositions but he gave most of his money away .
One day, during one of his tours, he came across a beautiful antique violin. But due to his generous nature and charitable heart, he did not have enough money to buy it.
Still, he promised himself that he would return for it. When he had earned enough money to meet the asking price he returned to the dealer only to find the beautiful instrument had been sold to a collector. Obtaining the name of the buyer, Kreisler made his way to the collector’s home hoping to buy the violin from him. But the new owner would not sell.
“Do you play?” asked Kreisler.
“No,” said the collector, “but I am a great lover of beautiful things and the violin has become one of my prized possessions.”
Disappointed Kreisler prepared to leave but was struck by a sudden thought. “Would you allow me to play it? May we hear its music once more before it is consigned to silence?”
Permission was given and the master began to play. He filled the room with music of such beauty that the heart of the collector was moved to tears. When the virtuoso finished the collector said to him.
“Mr. Kreisler, I have no right to keep such beauty to myself. It is yours. Take it out into the world and let people hear its music.”
Some of the finest violins ever made, were made hundreds of years ago. When played by a master the music they produce is so beautiful it can bring tears to our eyes. But it is a beauty that is meant to be shared, not locked way. Indeed if these instruments are not played occasionally they begin to deteriorate and soon lose the ability produce any music at all.
Christians carry with them the story of the salvation of every soul through the mercy of God, who is perfect Beauty. But how often do we keep that beauty to ourselves, afraid to impose our beliefs on others?
But is it an imposition to share Beauty with a world drowning in ugliness? The world is in desperate need of the power of Beauty.
Beauty is one of the ways in which we can come to know more about God. In translating the Book of Genesis from Hebrew to Latin to English, we lose some of the richness and subtleties of the original story. We read that “God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good.” Genesis 1:31
In English, the word “good” is translated from the Latin word “bona.” The word “bona” is the translation Saint Jerome gives to the Hebrew word “towb.” But “towb” carries with it a much richer meaning than simply “good.” It is translated elsewhere in scripture as better, merry, fair, prosperity, precious, favor, wealth, and beautiful, to name just a few.
And so we can say that God saw all that He had made and it was beautiful.
We respond to Beauty. It is part of us as it is a part of all of creation. We respond to the beauty of a sunset, a night sky full of stars, or ocean waves crashing on the shore. These visions of beauty evoke in us a sense of longing. We long to return to the home for which we were made, where we can once again walk in the garden with our Creator who is all Beauty.
Beauty is intrinsic to our very existence. Beauty draws us beyond the mere surface aesthetics of a thing, to contemplate the source that lies behind.
The story of the salvation of mankind is a beautiful tale of love and compassion, mercy and sacrifice It is a story that resonates within us so deeply that we revel in telling and retelling the story in countless ways. It is a story that frees us from dread and hopelessness, gives us hope and encouragement, and allows us to contemplate the divine source of all grace.
It is a story that has the power to change the world.
The grace we receive from the Easter event of the resurrection allows us to walk free without fear. We walk away from the tomb of sin that encloses each of us, free from the fear of death. That tomb is a reality of the past. As disciples of Jesus we have been given the means to roll back the stones that seal us in the tomb.
As Christians, as an Easter people, we are called to be a light to the world, the liberating voice of Christ. We reach out to our brothers and sisters, by sharing with them the beauty of the Christian story, to help free them from their tombs of darkness and ignorance.
Alleluia, all hail to Him Who Is. All praise and honor and glory to the Lamb who was slain. He is risen. He lives. And we are born into a new world. The apostles bear witness to a new reality, we shall not die, we shall live.
Glory to God in the highest.
Christus resurrexit!
