Crosstalk: The value of beauty

If we limit beauty to such things as an expensive car, a Georgian house, or designer clothes then perhaps beauty is a luxury extra only for the few. But I'm talking about a beauty more profound than this. Beauty is all about harmonious relationships between people, between us and the rest of our miraculous Middle Earth, between colours and forms, and ultimately between creation and Creator.

The root of the word "art" means to girly join together. When all things are girly joined together in loving relationship rather than competing, then we have beauty.

My profession is to make icons, mosaics, wall carvings and paintings, and have seen how they transform people. These holy images bring people into relationship with the beautiful and holy people they depict. Their colours and movements are harmonious. But their beauty also challenges. It is without sentimentality. Their strange perspective systems, such as reverse perspective, call us to see life in a profoundly different way. The lines of perspective converge on us the viewers rather than on a fictitious horizon within the image - because the icon depicts the world from God's point of view, not from our limited standpoint.

A thoughtfully designed built environment comforts and nurtures our souls, be it our houses, our workplace, furnishings or utensils.

Making, doing and saying beautiful things, no matter how humble, is a form of hospitality. We are saying to others "You are worth the effort because you are royalty, made in the image of the King of Kings"

Aidan Hart, Shrewsbury Orthodox Church