Beauty: Why Do We Appreciate It?

My mind seems to be wired for beauty. Without any conscious thought my eyes rivet themselves on beauty. Whether it’s the brilliant colors of a rose, a cascading waterfall, or sunlight reflecting off morning mist rising off a mountain lake, my eyes are drawn towards beauty. It’s the same with my ears. My mind will automatically block other sounds so I can capture every note of a bird song, the sweet mystic melody of a violin, or the gurgling of a mountain brook. My senses seem to crave beauty. Of course, it’s really my heart directing my senses which is doing the craving. I am not alone in this. Just think of how humanity flocks to majestic waterfalls in places like Yosemite, or how our homes and galleries are filled with the paintings and photographs of those who dedicate themselves to capturing the beauty found in nature.

Beauty: Where Did It Come From?

I think we would all agree that our appreciation of beauty depends on a three-fold cord of factors which all must be present. First, there must be beauty in this world (think of the shimmering beauty of a peacock’s feathers). Second, we must possess built-in hardware which can receive and transport these signals to a processing center capable of creating pictures and sounds from them (our senses and brain). Third, we must possess this intangible desire to recognize, appreciate, and surround ourselves with this beauty.
Why does all humanity share this attraction to beauty? Where did it come from? Evolutionists must explain this phenomenon by spinning an imaginative story. “This is simply the result of survival of the fittest. This attraction to beauty enabled our ancestors to survive and pass on their genes.” Really? How anti-climactic is that? There is another option.

Could it be that behind mankind’s attraction to beauty is a God who Himself delights in beauty? One who made us in His image to enjoy what He enjoys?

This seems to be a better explanation than that matter somehow arranged itself in our brains to give us this unique characteristic. (as far as I can tell animals are not mesmerized by gorgeous sunsets as we humans are) How can something so immaterial as an appreciation for beauty come about through material processes?

Beauty: What Is Its Purpose?

The next time you experience beauty that stops you in your tracks and resonates in your heart, stop to consider that God is behind it all. He is the One who designed the three-fold cord that allows you to experience beauty, like a master musician who knows how to pluck the right strings to bring you a sense of wonder and joy. So, what is the purpose of beauty? Think of what you experience in your heart as you behold the Milky Way on a summer night above a mountain lake. Beauty is God’s invitation to you to turn your thoughts to Him, His way of letting you know He cares and wants a relationship with you.