There is a lot of ugliness in our world today which makes it difficult to see beauty and goodness. Hate and violence toward people different than we are, floods, wildfires, poverty, food insecurity, war, refugees and displaced people groups, degradation of the environment, misuse of power, misinformation, and greed are just some of the ugliness that confronts us today. Given the current national and global crisis, it is easy to feel hopeless and helpless. With traditional structures and systems being broken, it is hard to know who and what to trust. The anxiety and uncertainty of our time leaves us feeling vulnerable about the future.
For such a time as this, it may seem absurd to suggest that we seek and immerse ourselves in beauty. This is not to be confused with disengagement from the ugliness that surrounds us; however, our calling is to look for the beauty, to name it and share it with others, and in so doing we will help repair our world. Much of the stress and emptiness we feel may be due to our lack of attention to beauty. When we turn away from beauty, we turn away from what feeds and strengthens the soul. For this reason, we (Donna and Linda) feel compelled to focus this Lenten retreat on embracing beauty in the ashes. In his book, Beauty, O'Donohue "reveals how beauty's invisible embrace invites us toward new heights of passion and creativity even in these uncertain times of global conflict and crisis". He calls it a "homecoming of the human spirit". Sine notes that "experiences of awe increase our ability to reach out with compassion and care to those around us".
Beauty does not linger, it only visits.
Yet beauty's visitation affects us and invites us into its rhythm,
it calls us to feel, think, and act beautifully in the world:
to create and live a life that awakens the Beautiful.
~John O'Donohue
Our main resource for this retreat will be John O'Donohue's book, The Invisible Embrace: Beauty. Feel free to purchase the book and read along with us, though it is not essential to understand our reflections. Each week of Lent we will post short reflections, music, and poetry on Sunday and Wednesday. You may want to prepare a space of beauty for time to meditate and pray each day. We are also encouraging the spiritual practice of using all your senses to experience beauty - in nature, music, art, poetry, and whatever gives you life and joy. Take "awe and wonder walks". Open your eyes, ears, and hearts to beauty. Allow beauty to surprise and liberate you. As you awaken to beauty, you will also become more aware of new ways of being in the world.
Song: Beauty of the Dancer by Sara Thomsen
Lyrics:
The Beauty of the Dancer
You see the beauty of the dancer
You hear the beauty of the song
You feel the beauty all around you
You wonder where do you belong
You are the beauty of the dancer
You are the beauty of the song
You are the beauty all around you
You're standing right where you belong
All above you, all below you, all around you, all within you
Beauty all above you, beauty all below you
Beauty all around you, beauty all within you
You are beauty, you are beauty
© 2004 Sara Thomsen
Reflection
As you prepare for Lent, what are you longing for this season? You might want to jot a few thoughts in your journal about your hopes and desires for Lent.
Resources:
Sine, C. (Feb. 17, 2025). Meditation Monday. Getting Ready for Lent: Finding Beauty in the Ashes of Lent. God Space.
O'Donohue, J. (2003). The Invisible Embrace: Beauty. New York: Harper Perennial
Comments