Beauty as Hospitality - Comfort on the Way

Hospitality and beauty are kin - maybe even inseparable. Think of times you have witnessed something quietly stunning. Images that come to mind are a dragonfly’s wings shimmering silver in the light - the same light that colors the ocean’s horizon pink, or finding myself smiling at the elegance of a dog stretching in a full run along the water's edge as the ferry slides into the slip, or feeling the cushion of emerald moss in quiet woods, or just now- the slow motion drop of a thin branch under the weight of a hummingbird planning her approach to the feeder beneath my office window.

Felt beauty invites us to be part of, relax in, and enjoy the gift of the moment.

On a sunny March day, it’s easy to reject the drab. But it is more than 'just' rejection. It’s wise as part of the Lenten journey to accept the invitation of beauty for the strength it gives in times of difficulty and dying.

I include a picture of the creative serving of a simple cup of tea with freshly made banana bread served by my friend, Judy. The attention to details, the bird candle, Judy's trade-mark ceramic blues and cheery napkins extended layers of hospitality that warmed me as much as the tea. What if we saw Creation's beauty as intentional gifts of hospitality meant to welcome us?

Maybe the practice of noticing beauty is what makes a Lenten path bearable - beauty can increase our trust in enduring goodness, make us feel a sense of belonging, and give us comfort in seasons of pain and loss .

Ultimately, beauty encouragess us to believe in the likelihood of beauty beyond.