Beauty In the Eye of the Beholder

At the end of each school year, the Art Department at our high school holds an Art Show to exhibit the talent and hard work of our students.  Each artist also has the option of putting a price on their artwork with the intention of selling it.  This year, I was amazed at the fact that many of our patrons were children.  Several parents brought their kids and allowed them to choose a piece of artwork they would like to purchase.

One boy, Scott, whom I taught while I was long term sub in in second grade a few years ago, combed the show and settled on the one piece he would like to have.  It was a sculpture, a plaster casting of a hand nailed through the palm, face up, to a plain pine board.  The artist had used bright red paint, in stark contrast to the pure white of the plaster, to depict blood oozing out from the wound caused by the nail. It was simple and grotesque, but I could tell, from the pleased look on Scott's face, that to him it represented something beautiful.  He mother did not question his purchase, and I smiled - because I understood.

I saw the artist, a boy I taught in Art 1 last year, the next week and I told him that a 10 year old boy had bought his artwork.  He was incredulous.  "He must be sick!" He exclaimed, not understanding what Scott saw in the piece.  

"I believe, to him, it had religious significance." I explained.

The light bulb went on, and he shook his head.  "I didn't mean it like that though."

What a picture!  The world doesn't see things like God sees them.  To the world, a God who sacrifices his son in such a vulgar, common way is grotesque and foolish.  To God, and those who love Him, it is the most beautiful thing we can imagine!  It is all in the point of view.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.

2 Corinthians 5:16