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Timeless Standards from a
Timeless God I
by Thomas Korcok
f you haven’t said it, then you have certainly heard it: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Whenever there is a disagreement over art, architecture, clothing, hairstyle, tattoos, or body piercings, it is not too long before someone solemnly utters the phrase and effectively silences all debate. The unspoken message is that judging something to be ugly is narrow-minded. Surprisingly, the phrase first appeared in a nineteenth-century romantic novel called Molly Brawn. Indeed, from ancient times, beauty was considered one of three timeless standards. Beauty, along with truth and goodness, were the things that transcended time, location, and even culture. What was true then is true
now. What is beautiful is beautiful in every place. What is good is good for all people. Because they are universal and timeless, these standards were seen as the revelations of God’s nature. God has woven evidence of these standards into every part of creation and has instilled in people a desire for truth, goodness, and beauty so that they would seek Him out. They also lead Christians to better understand the fullness of life, giving a rich meaning and depth of purpose to our daily vocations. In a culture where we often must grit our teeth for the sake of being “openminded,” we confess that the eternal truth, goodness, and beauty that daily surrounds us in Christ gives us a
eternal truth, goodness, and beauty
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THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN | January/February 2024
