True beauty is more than skin-deep

My initial reaction to Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty was positive. I was impressed that at last someone was saying that beauty was about more than being thin or unblemished. That struck me as a positive thing with so many young women (and increasingly, I gather, men) struggling with eating disorders. But as I thought more, I felt that the campaign still carries the message that beauty is skin-deep (if you'll excuse the pun!):

Dove believes that beauty comes in different shapes, sizes, and colors and that real beauty can be genuinely stunning.

But the Bible's view of beauty is radically different. Have you ever wondered why so many Christian songs talk about God as being beautiful?

Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness;
opened my eyes, let me see
beauty that made this heart adore you-
thoughts of a life spent with you.
Tim Hughes © 2000 Kingsway's Thankyou Music

Until a couple of years ago, I'd never really contemplated what it meant to call God beautiful. And yet King David does:

One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to meditate in his temple. (Ps 27.4)

That's remarkable isn't it - that the one thing David wanted of God more than anything was to "gaze upon the beauty of the LORD"? We might speculate that it was a better request than Solomon's request for wisdom, comparing the outcome of their two lives (although I wouldn't want to push the comparison too far!).
So when the Bible talks about beauty, it clearly isn't (always) talking about physical beauty at all - since God is invisible!
No, true beauty is beauty of character, the beauty of love which meets the needs of others no matter what the cost.

Wives... do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing--but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.(1Pe 3.3-4)

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Rom 10.15)

No one will ever look back at the feet of someone who called them to Christ and say "they had ugly feet!" That messenger will always be one of the most beautiful people you have ever met.
Oh, that I would truly take this on board. That I would stop judging people by their physical appearance. That I would not care about my physical appearance, but rather how I am giving myself in the love of others.

How great is His goodness, and how great His beauty! (Zech 9.17)

Love keeps no record of wrongs

Love... keeps no record of wrongs (1 Cor 13:5)

Surely that must be one of the hardest things in the bible. But it's there. This is the love that God has for his friends and his enemies. And it's the love that he wants us to have for our friends and enemies. So part of forgiveness means forgetting the hurt that has been caused us by someone.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting we should act as if we hadn't been hurt when we have been:

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Col 3:13)

When we're wronged by someone, it might be that it doesn't bother us and so we can just forget about it straight away. I take it that's what Paul means by bearing with one another. At other times when we're wronged, we also genuinely hurt by the person - sometimes to the point where the consequences may last for months, years or the rest of our lives. When we're hurt, we're right to tell the person that they've hurt us (see Eph 4:15), but that we have forgiven them - or that we want to forgive them. If we're to forgive people in the way that we have been forgiven, then that means forgiving people even when they don't repent or, worse, don't think they've done anything wrong:

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Lk 23:34)

Guiding principles
But it surely won't always be right to act as if some wrongdoing never happened. If a beggar asks for money for food and you then watch him use it to buy alcohol, it might not be the most loving thing to give him more money the next time he asks. If someone mugs you, it might not be loving your neighbour if you decide not to report it to the police (since your neighbour might be the next one to get mugged!). So we might ask ourselves "how can I be most loving in this situation?"
Also, we are not God and as a consequence, have limited resources (time, money, energy, etc.):

Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. (Col 4:5)

Having said that, we need to balance this against our natural desire to keep our resources for ourselves!

If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. (Mt 5:40)

Surrendering the right to revenge
Forgive me(!) I've already gone on too long. Let me finish with what I have found most helpful when trying to forgive others (which I learnt from John Piper's book "Future Grace")...
There is a sense in which we have a right to seek revenge (in the sense of exacting justice) when someone wrongs us:

If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. (Lev 24:19)

But Jesus calls his followers to give up that right:

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Mt 5:38-39)

How will we ever be able to find the strength and the grace to do that? By trusting that God will settle accounts on judgement day. The person who has wronged you will either face God's punishment for what they have done; or God will have already punished their wrongdoing in the cross of Christ.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.
On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. (Rom 12:18-20)

Church of England backs female bishops

I must admit to being a little taken aback as I read through some of the comments left in response to this news. Here is a selection:

- So the church is above the law? I thought equality was the law nowadays. The church is outdated, hypocritical, and has double standards. It is understandable thet church attendance is falling.
- Women or gays, who cares? When did the church do anything constructive? Sure they can talk alot, I mean really do something - after all they claimd to have someone on their side!
- why shouldn't women be ordained as bishops the church ordains paedophiles and perverts into their ranks

The real question here is not whether women might make good bishops. It is clear that there are women out there who would do a better job than some of the male bishops we have.

But the real question is this: will we listen to God?

Are we willing to accept the possibility that if there is a God who created our World? Surely if there is, then He knows best how to run it, let alone His church! And if He does know best, then we might want to listen to what He has to say. That is the claim of Christianity - that God has come into the world in Jesus Christ to make Himself known to us.

It seems to me that worryingly little consideration has been given to His view - or even the possibility that He might have a view! - in either the Synod or people's responses.

We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things (2Peter 1.19-20 TNIV)