大象传媒

Last week, we took a short break in Cornwall with our friend Angie who

knowing that my wife Pat is a devoted bluebell worshipper, took us to

what I can only describe as a cathedral of bluebell-ness. The glistening

haze of the flowers stretched in all directions as far as the eye could see;

their fragrance wafting all around like incense.

I suspect that for many people nature is their cathedral. As we

wandered through that woodland last week, everyone we met had a

smile on their face, and there was a palpable sense of shared

wonderment 鈥� which I confess I don鈥檛 always find in church.

Yet it鈥檚 not just nature. There are many kinds of beauty in the world,

each of which can be uplifting and inspiring. I mostly walk around art

galleries with a sense of holy awe and admiration 鈥� I once gazed at a

Caravaggio painting in the National Gallery for a full fifteen minutes and

more, transfixed by the beauty of its light and colour and texture. And

there was a Moby gig at the Roundhouse in Camden which was nothing

less than a religious experience for both me and Pat.

I believe for many of us beauty can be a synonym or different name for

God, and that enjoying the beauty and joy of standing on top of a hill

looking across the countryside, or singing along to our favourite band,

or sharing an exquisite evening with friends can be more meaningful

forms of prayer than all the words in a prayer book.

My life is spent in church, and there are some wonderful churches, but I

also believe the world is jam-packed with God, by whatever name 鈥� that

divine beauty is everywhere.

Best of all, I think we each have opportunities to create beauty in the

world 鈥� not least with our words and actions. There鈥檚 a poem which says,

鈥楳aybe our world will grow kinder eventually. Maybe the desire to make

something beautiful is the piece of God inside each of us.

I once asked a woman who was very good at bringing beauty into

people鈥檚 lives if she fancied coming to church. She said, 鈥楴ah Dave! I鈥檝e

got plenty to get on with right here 鈥� this is my church!鈥�

Can鈥檛 really argue with that!