Is beauty a static idea or something that evolves and changes over time?
The story of Beauty and the Beast tells us how true love expressed via Beauty can destroy the barriers of brokenness within and reveal princely beauty even in a so-called Beast.
Although idealistic, the idea of an absolute or the perfection of beauty in the person of Beauty seems logical. After all,
- If we are talking about beauty, we are assuming to some degree an ultimate version of beauty, a “good” (and bad) version with various degrees. There is an assumed sense of what constitutes ideal beauty. Depending on the person, context, and culture, it could mean different things.
- Another aspect of true beauty is that beauty inspires a “bias to action.” In this case, it is Beauty taking the initiative to act upon her beauty to bring about the transformation of the Beast.
- The idea of the perfection of beauty signifies hope. It takes sustained initiative. The perfection of beauty as hope unassumingly disarms the beastly nature of persons. The encounter between true beauty (Beauty) and the Beast is transformative. Beauty transforms the Beast.
Consider,
Whether it’s people, countries, or groups, we are all created beautiful. Our role as creatives is to disarm the Beast with radical beauty rooted in the Creator-of-All’s unending love for the world. Let’s take a moment to breathe in the Creator Beauty that transforms all attempts to beautify ourselves, the world, and others in our respective neighborhoods and workplaces.
But first, we must encounter Beauty and experience the transforming power of Beauty’s hope. Before changing others for the better, we must be willing and open to be disarmed and charmed by Beauty.
How do we, as artists and creators, return to our first love of creating without fear?
We must be willing to let our guard down.
The only way to bring about reconciliation amid the ongoing conflict, in our heads and out in the world between people, is the radical power of beauty rooted in radical love for another, even more than ourselves.
What would it look like to put ourselves at the service of Beauty’s Hope–in the way Beauty sees and acts upon hope or we might call it, the latent beauty, in and of the Beast? In parallel, we might ask: What might the perfection of the Creator’s Beauty — the Creator’s hope for the world in and through us as co-creators — do in us and our abilities and capacities to create lasting change in the world?
