LightGrams
May 28, 2020
Volume 24, Number 18
I purchased my first digital camera in 2005. It was a compact Canon model, archaic by today’s standards, but it served me well for a few years. When I combined it with my love for roaming through the woods, it opened my eyes to things I’d never seen before.
In particular I noticed wildflowers. I had seen wildflowers before; how could I not? But I began noticing tiny wildflowers that earlier escaped my observation. I remember the day I saw mountain laurel blooming in the woods just above the house where I grew up. I spent 18 years at that hillside residence; had they just suddenly appeared, or had I really failed to “see” them?
Earlier this week it happened again. While trekking through the woods at Roan Mountain State Park I stumbled upon a grove of jack-in-the-pulpits. In dozens of hikes in recent years I had only seen these beauties on a couple of other occasions. Now I beheld a profusion of them! What a joy I experienced!
There is beauty in many areas that we may fail to notice. Ray Stevens made popular a song years ago called “Everything Is Beautiful In Its Own Way”. I believe he’s right.
Let’s focus on the beauty in people (and I’m not referring to physical beauty). It’s easy to get tripped up on the selfishness and insensitivity of some. Especially during this time of quarantine and health fears we can easily overlook the good that is before us. But that beauty can be spotted – if we look for it.
Jesus pointed to the beautiful spirit of a most unlikely person (to the Jewish mind). In Luke 10 He spoke about a man in need, someone who had been robbed and mercilessly beaten by thieves. He desperately needed help, but two men who should have helped didn’t; they kept walking on as if they didn’t see (but they did see).
A Samaritan came along, Jesus said. At this point many would have immediately prepared for the worst as their prejudices regarded this race of people as “dogs”. But this man had a beautiful spirit; he stopped to tend to the victim’s needs, and generally went out of his way to take him to a place where he could heal. That man in Jesus’ parable has become proverbial – the “Good Samaritan” we all admire (Luke 10:30-37).
If you look, you’ll find beauty in the most unlikely (to you) people. And why is that? Genesis 1:27 answers that question: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created Him; male and female He created them.” God’s image rests inside every human being, though some show that image more clearly than others.
“Go and do likewise,” Jesus taught at the conclusion of the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:37). By helping others we blossom, and our beauty is evident.
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2020, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version (Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
“LightGrams” is produced by the Central Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every Thursday to all who request it. To subscribe or to receive more information, write to “[email protected]” (our E-mail address), to the U.S. mail address above, or call (423) 282-1571.
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