Ugly Beauty
As we continue to delve deeper into chapter 2 of Cultures in Conflict, Vander Laan details the frustrations of Paul as he attempts to engage the people of Athens. For Paul, the idolatry of Rome was heartbreaking. “While others saw a magnificent and sophisticated city renowned as the religious, cultural, and philosophical heart of the ancient world, Paul saw an affront to God,” according to Vander Laan. How could something that offended God be embraced so enthusiastically by an entire culture?
What are examples of things in our culture that we ascribe a value or a position that begins to eclipse our view of God? Paul’s physical position in the agora allowed him to easily contrast the scale of the importance of the gods that were known and worshipped by the Greeks and the Romans. Vander Laan also asserts that “Paul’s message about Jesus and the kingdom of God was thought to undermine the power and authority of the Roman Empire and its deified emperor.”
How often have you quoted the well-worn phrase ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ by Margaret Wolff Hungerford from her book Molly Bawn? The phrase reveals the incredibly complicated and deeply nuanced idea that definitions of beauty are indubitably subjective and far beyond simple explanations. Similarly, the phrase “ugly beauty” is a somewhat loose translation of the French words jolie laide which mean the less pleasing features sometimes render things more attractive.
There is an almost inexplicable lure of vice and of evil. The serpent in the garden did not arouse revulsion, but rather intrigue at the suggestion that god-like qualities were available for the asking. The cost was never discussed. The price was unaffordable and the debt continues to grow as the desire for selfish pleasures increase.
We will continue to explore and discuss these topics in worship and in class. We look forward to seeing you and learning with you as we grow in our discipleship and understanding of the person God has created us to become.
In Christ,
Jon McCoy
