Because You’re Pretty
You are beautiful. Yes, you. Maybe it’s the way you help other people or the kind words you share in a moment of trouble. Maybe it’s the comfort you bring others or the way you help in a crisis. No matter what, I promise you, you’re beautiful.
Over the last few years, I’ve heard a phrase bandied about on the internet: pretty privilege. And in some ways this phrase doesn’t come as a surprise to any of us. If you were to think about someone who floats through life without too much trouble, there is a chance that they are someone who is, at least in some way, conventionally attractive. I learned from the “Myths and Legends” podcast that throughout history there was an assumption that people who were beautiful or handsome were supposed to be noble, important, or otherwise better than other people. Like many of the things that make sense in society, I find that pretty privilege does not quite mesh with what we see in scripture or how I theologically understand the world.
Before we get going, a caveat. For those of you who are thinking, I’m not a teenage girl who doubts my beauty in any way, I know I’m beautiful with all my scars and wrinkles, I say good- glad you already have that theological foundation that lets you navigate the world without this pressure. I’d say that even the most confident of people, not just women, but people, still find that a comment on their appearance can turn their entire day. My new haircut had someone call me pretty, who had not done so before, and I was surprised how much those simple words made my entire week better. We are all susceptible to flattery.
Beauty does not come from your appearance.
Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. (1 Peter 3:3-4 NRSVUE)
Pretty is what pretty does comes from Geoffery Chaucer which feels like a retelling of this scripture with more brevity. And that’s not actually what he said, so not directly from Chaucer, but he did pen handsome is what handsome does which was later changed to pretty and included in general wisdom for many years. What you wear or how you look is nowhere near as important as who you are on the inside. It has been my experience that someone’s outer beauty fades quickly if they do not also have the inner spirit of grace and peace to go with it. God wants your beauty to come from the peace you find from your relationship with Christ, not because you wear the right clothes or look good in a photo. Your actions and words define your beauty more than your face ever will.
Beauty isn’t forever.
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16 NRSVUE)
Had a conversation recently in which I made the observation that people who tried to cling to their youth seem to be the people who age the fastest. Many equate age with beauty as the thought is usually young and beautiful, not old and beautiful. Conversely, I ask, is age beauty or is it just that being young and full of life makes us feel attractive and alive? Advertisements seem to tell me that I should avoid aging at all costs. Put this expensive goop on your face, do this easy 14 step face routine to avoid getting wrinkles, there’s face tape to wear in your sleep, and whatever you do, don’t go out in the sun. What I see in Scripture indicates to me that aging is supposed to be its own form of beauty. That the wisdom and knowledge gained, the witness to the goodness of God garnered over a lifetime, have so much more value than we find in a consumer driven society. If your entire self-worth is wrapped up in your outward appearance, you have what God wants you to value in life. God is forever, God’s love is steadfast, and life is eternal.
Beauty is a gift from God?
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25 NRSVUE)
What good do you do in the world? How do you participate in the free, just, and loving world that God imagines for all people? How do you show Christ to others? You’ll notice these questions still indicate that you are working towards something, but that something is a world where everyone is free to know God, live life in peace, and not money centric. Elsewhere Christ reminds us that those who try to keep their life, will lose it. You have been given gifts and graces by God. Thus, your value and your worth in the body of Christ is not limited to an outward beauty. It may just be one of your gifts and graces. The hope is that your self-worth comes from the knowledge that God loves you and God made you, not from any fleeting praise given by others. Your opinion matters so much more than what you see on social media (or in a fashion magazine). There is so much beauty in this world and you are a part of it. Let all of creation be a witness to what God hath wrought.
These are just some thoughts on this topic, but I get the feeling that it might just be opening a can of worms. For instance, nowhere here do I touch on that gem from The Hunchback of Notre Dame- is being inordinately beautiful a sin? If you are outwardly a beauty, do you have an extra responsibility to be good and kind? Maybe. And maybe someday I’ll write on these. But for today, let me just remind you once more: You are beautiful. Go forth and share that beauty with the world.
