Editor’s Note: Today we’re blessed to have my friend and fellow staff member Hannah Bell as our guest blogger on “Family & Friends Friday.”
Hannah and her husband, Jerome, have been members at Webster Bible Church for two years, and Hannah has been part of our staff for over a year. Hannah met Jerome at Houghton College where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Studio Art, with a focus in oil painting and ceramics.
As the Executive Assistant at WBC, Hannah enjoys using her creativity to serve the Lord and her church family. During her free time, Hannah sells commissioned portraits of individuals, families, and (her personal favorite) pets. Hannah also enjoys quiet nights, playing board games or watching Netflix with Jerome and their cat, TimTam.
What does it mean for Jesus to be beautiful? As an artist, this has always been a hard question for me to answer. Usually, my understanding of beauty has to do with aesthetics and what I can take in through my physical senses. I hear beautiful music, I make a beautiful artwork, or, like the beloved hymn, I see a beautiful meadow and woodlands; shining sun and stars. But how can Jesus, who we currently do not physically see, be beautiful? Even if we could see him, Scripture says, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isa. 53:2). So how can our Savior be described as beautiful?
Generally, my understanding of beauty and aesthetics draws from the 7 Elements of Art and the 7 Principles of Design. They help explain why the art we are drawn to and love is beautiful; what sets it apart from what is tacky, ugly, or uninteresting.
The Elements of Art are: color, form, line, shape, space, and texture.
The Principles of Design are: balance, unity, variety, emphasis, movement, pattern, and proportion.
But how can these elements and principle help us understand the beauty of Christ?
Our church staff has been reading the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortland. While reading chapter ten, “The Beauty of the Heart of Christ,” I had my usual qualms and questions about how to understand Jesus as beautiful. But one particular paragraph stood out to me and helped to explain Jesus’ beauty in a way that I could understand and relate to.
I do not know if it was intentional on the part of the author, but I realized each sentence in the paragraph that describes the heart of Christ has a corresponding Element or Principle of Art. This helped me understand how the spiritual and relational elements of who Christ is, can relate to tangible beauty and aesthetics. Below I will cite each sentence from this passage and give a brief explanation (in italics) of the Element or Principle to which it corresponds (in my opinion) and how that reflects the beauty of Christ.
“Let Jesus draw you in through the loveliness of his heart.” — Space
Space and perspective give depth and relational context and dimension within a piece of art. Jesus is not one-dimensional and he draws us into the space of his heart.
“This is a heart that upbraids the impenitent with all the harshness that is appropriate, yet embraces the penitent with more openness than we are able to feel.” — Variety
Variety brings in the different elements of art together to create interest and diversity. Christ is not only one thing, but a beautiful combination of innumerable qualities.
“It is a heart that walks us into the bright meadows of the felt love of God.” — Value
Value is the lightness or darkness of a color and can be used to show contrast and form. Jesus brings us out from the darkness of sin into the brilliance of his love, giving us a deeper appreciation and understanding of his saving grace.
“It is a heart that drew the despised and forsaken to his feet in self-abandoning hope.” — Movement
Movement utilizes elements to show real or implied motion which draws the eye to the artwork. Movement is essential is coming out of darkness into the light of Christ, and Christ draws us to himself, both at the time of salvation and continuing through our walk with him.
“It is a heart of perfect balance and proportion, never overreacting, never excusing, never lashing out.” — Balance and Proportion
Balance and Proportion create visual stability and relationship between elements. Jesus is always stable and always acts in perfect responses to us.
“It is a heart that throbs with desire for the destitute.” — Pattern
Pattern is repeated elements that create rhythm and a visual beat. Christ’s heart has a constant driving force of indescribable love for lost sinners.
“It is a heart that floods the suffering with the deep solace of shared solidarity in that suffering.” — Unity
Unity is the combinations of elements that bring a sense of wholeness and completion. Jesus has experienced all the pain of this world and understands our suffering completely, and his saving work to end that suffering is whole and complete.
“It is a heart that is gentle and lowly.” — Texture
Texture is the real or perceived tactile qualities in an artwork. While we do not physically feel the heart of Christ, the perceived texture of his heart embracing ours is soft and warm.
Christ’s heart — his very nature and the driving force in everything he does — is a stunning work of art from which all earthy beauty originates.
Jesus’ very nature is the origin of our understanding of beauty & aesthetics, and he exhibits them in the most complete and perfect way imaginable.
He truly is our beautiful Savior!