Beholding Beauty

​Sydney is such a beautiful place! The lovely native gullies, so close to the big city, the spectacular harbour resplendent with its natural beauty and complemented by charming sailing boats and iconic structures, still create a source of delighted wonder in me after 18 months here.
Your perception of beauty may be different to mine. A visit to the State Theatre where Tina Arena performed to a capacity crowd, illustrated that many people are moved by a beautiful, powerful voice. The architectural and acoustic features of the theatre itself inspire another realisation of beauty. The Lane Cove Art Society have celebrated their 50th year – that’s a great deal of art appreciation! New life often brings a sense of wonder and joy in its delicate beauty. Even relationships can be described as beautiful – the harmonious gathering of diverse peoples at the new FoodFaith Garden Opening in Lane Cove recently, or any time where joys and experiences are shared, leaving our hearts warmed.
A certain state of mind is required to enable us to realise beauty – we need to decide to take the time required. Neither a quick glance at a painting, nor a hurried visit, reveal the depths of true beauty. Psychology and Christian doctrine agree that gratitude is good for the soul, so let’s take time to ‘smell the roses’, to look beyond ourselves and the troubles which may otherwise consume all of our attention.
Probing more deeply, how does beauty resonate within us? Does it make a connection with our spiritual nature? This ancient Psalm suggests so:
 The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
 Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
 They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
(An excerpt from the Bible, Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)).
Whereas this passage refers to a link to God through nature, I suspect other forms of beauty are also powerful connectors to the One who created us. I’d love to know what you think! Where do you see beauty? How does it resonate with your soul? 



美的观感    (Karen牧师4月3日的Beholding Beauty部落格)


悉尼是一个确然美丽的地方! 我迁居到这里住了十八个月至今,  那份首次看到它时的惊喜, 依然留在脑海中. 我见到这么多接近大城市但保留原态的峡谷,  这壮观的海港, 它既具自然美之外, 还有其体势动人的帆船, 游弋于像徵悉尼的建築物之间.
 你们对美的观感或可和我的不同.  但我到过那State Theatre, 只见震憾的全院满座!  我感受到当时在演唱的Tina Arena婉啭而深情的歌声, 她把观众迷住了. 那剧院的建筑型式和音响设备, 让我觉察到另一类的美.  今年正值Lane Cove Art Society的 50周年, 可想象它贡献给人们多少艺朮欣赏的历程了! 艺术创作在巧妙中带来美的感受, 也同时带来疑慮和欢乐的.  甚至我们的人际关系亦可以当为美的  –  那多种民族融洽地聚在一起的Food Faith Garden开幕礼,  或其他类似的乐趣和经验分享的场面,  都能留下温罄的回憶的.
 美的觉察是需要特定的心理历程的 – 我们得牺牲时间来感受. 瞬间的溜览或迅速的涉獵, 是到不了真正艺术的深层的.  心理学和基督教教义都同意,  ‘感恩有利于心灵’的说法. 让我们空出点时间来 ‘嗅一嗅玫瑰花香’,  摆脱形体的限制, 作美的享受吧.
 来一个更深入的体会, 美怎样和我们生共鸣的?  它是不是和我们的心灵有关连的呢?
(圣诗节錄给省了, 因为不愿改已定的诗句原文)
这份节錄把自然跟神连在一起,  令我怀疑其他型式的美都和创世者有紧密的连繋的. 我恳求你们给我各自的想法!  你们在哪里找到美?  它和你们的心灵怎样產生共鸣呢?
 
美的觀感  (Karen牧師4月3日的Beholding Beauty博客)
 
雪梨是一個確然美麗的地方！我遷居到這裏住了十八個月至今，那份首次看到它時的驚喜，依然留在我的腦海中。我見到這麼多接近大城市，但保留原態的峽谷，這壯觀的海港，它既具自然美之外，還有其體勢動人的帆船，游弋於像徵雪梨的建築物之間。
 
你們對美的觀感或可和我的不同。但我到過那State Theatre，只見震憾的全院滿座！我感受到當時在演唱的Tina Arena婉囀而深情的歌聲，她把觀眾迷住了。那劇院的建築型式和音響設備，讓我覺察到另一類的美。今年正值Lane Cove Art Society的50週年，可想象它貢獻給人們多少藝術欣賞的歷程了！藝術創作在巧妙中帶來美的感受，也同時帶來疑慮和歡樂的。甚至我們的人際關係亦可以當為美的 － 那多種民族融融洽地聚在一起的Food Faith Garden開幕禮，或其他類似的樂趣和經驗分享的場面，都能留下溫罄的回憶的。
 
美的覺察是需要特定的心理歷程的 － 我們得花點時間來感受。瞬間的溜覽或迅速的涉獵, 是到不了真正藝術的深層的。心理學家和基督教教義都同意，‘感恩有利於心靈’的說法。讓我們空出時間來‘嗅一嗅玫瑰花香’,  擺脱形體的限制, 作美的享受吧。
 
來一個更深入的體會，美怎樣和我們生共鳴的？它是不是和我們的心靈有關連的呢？
 
（聖詩節錄給省去了，因為不願改已定的詩句原文）
 
這份節錄把自然跟神連在一起，令我懷疑其他型式的美都和創世者有緊密的連繋的。我懇求你們給我各自的想法！你們在哪裏找到美？它和你們的心靈怎樣產生共鳴呢？