THE CASE FOR CHRIST'S BEAUTY

The following is a fictitious court hearing in which evidence was gathered and testimony heard to substantiate the beauty of Christ reflected everywhere in creation. It is easy to see the Lord's beauty in shimmering lakes, majestic mountains, and shining stars. Can we recognize, however, His wonder in the "creepy crawlies," "hideous beasts," and "misunderstood monsters" of creation?

Judge: "So, you think you reflect the beauty of Christ?"
Centipede: "Yes, I do!"
Judge: "Let's review the facts: There are approximately 2,500 different kinds of centipedes in the world, and those that live in South America can grow to be a foot long. You centipedes live in moist places, under rocks and in dead trees, and you prefer to move about at night. Some centipedes have over 200 legs, and, like spiders, all centipedes have poisonous fangs. Is all this true?"
Centipede: "Yes, it is."
Judge: "You use your fangs to kill other animals to eat, true?"
Centipede: "True."
Judge: "Then how can you say that you show the Lord's beauty?"
Centipede: "Well, quite simply, we centipedes are very good parents. We reflect Jesus' beauty in the tremendous care we give our young."
Judge: "Do you have any evidence of this?"
Centipede: "Yes, your honor. I would like to submit to the court the picture on the left of a centipede mother huddling around her eggs.
"You can see how closely she guards her children. If any spider, insect, centipede, or other animal tried to hurt her young she would defend them to the death."
Judge: "Admirable."
Centipede: "Judge, Jesus did give us centipedes a lot of legs and long antennae, which may seem strange to humans. Our big fangs cause people to be afraid of us. Actually, we're just as afraid of people. Most importantly, He gave us the beauty of His nurturing Spirit. We may appear creepy to some, but we are dedicated parents."
Judge: "Your evidence has been duly noted. You may crawl down. Please send in the next witness."

Judge: "There's a rumor going around that you help demonstrate the Lord Jesus' beauty. Is that true?"
Earthworm: "Well, yes."
Judge: "Isn't it true that you are slimy?"
Earthworm: "Yes."
Judge: "Isn't it also true that people who come in contact with you say, and I quote, 'EEEWWW, get that thing away from me!'?"
Earthworm: "Yes, but..."
Judge: "And isn't it true that you have no eyes, ears or nose, but that you have five hearts?"
Earthworm: "Yes."
Judge: "Well, how can you be beautiful?"
Earthworm: "It's not that I'm beautiful, it's that I reflect God's beauty. Please let me explain!"
Judge: "Proceed."
Earthworm: "Even though you're correct to point out that I have no eyes, ears or nose, I can detect light and sounds, and I sense my surroundings. You see, your honor, the Lord Jesus made my skin sensitive to light and vibrations. You might say that I 'see' and 'hear' with my skin. I also use my skin to breathe because I have no lungs."
Judge: "Hmmm!"
Earthworm: "Jesus is rather fond of us earthworms."
Judge: "How is that?"
Earthworm: "Well, when He first created us He was so pleased that He made 3,000 different species of earthworms and placed us all over the world. Our presence here on earth is far from insignificant. Why, there is a type of earthworm in Australia that grows to be 12 feet long. And, on a single acre of rich soil in some parts of the world three million earthworms can be found digging around!
"Now, it's true that some of our kind have been seen doing strange things, but that doesn't make us ugly."
Judge: "What kind of strange things?"
Earthworm: "Uhhh, there's a type of earthworm in the tropics that lives in trees. Kind of funny, huh?"
Judge: "Hysterical. But most people can't even tell which end is your head."
Earthworm: "That's easy-it's the pointy end."
Judge: "Did you know that some people eat earthworms?"
Earthworm: "Ahhh...yes, true, but that's because we're rich in protein."
Judge: "Sounds tasty, but how does all of this prove that you reflect the great beauty of our Creator?"
Earthworm: "By physical appearances we may not be beautiful to you humans, but the Lord has given us a special job to do. We earthworms spend our entire lives tirelessly digging through the soil. As we burrow we leave tunnels and tracks. These passageways allow life-giving oxygen and water to get into the soil. This is essential for plants. We also eat dead plant and animal material and turn it into soil. We've been recycling since the beginning of creation! Christ's beauty thus shows up in us through all the wonderful flowers, trees and other vegetation we help grow."
Judge: "I see! Well, you have presented a good argument. You may step...err...I mean, squirm down. Next witness, please."

Bailiff: "Your Honor, the next two witnesses would like to appear on the witness stand together."
Judge: "Unusual, but I will allow it."
Mantis: "Good morning, Your Honor."
Judge: "Well, I can see why you wanted to appear together-misery loves company, huh?"
Beetle: "What do you mean?"
Judge: "Never mind. Has anyone ever said that you two look like aliens from outer space?"
Mantis: "No, why?"
Judge: (sigh)
Mantis: "We came here today to volunteer evidence that we, too, reflect the beauty of our Creator."
Judge: "Proceed."
Beetle: "We don't expect people to fall in love with us..."
Judge: "Good, you had me worried there for a second."
Beetle: "...uh, err...we would like everyone to see how beautifully we're colored, though."
Judge: "That's going to be difficult since this court document is being recorded in black and white."
Mantis: "Well, permit us to describe ourselves, then."
Judge: "Give it your best shot!"
Mantis: "Though my eyes are strange-looking, they are a brilliant and beautiful shade of deep yellow. In addition, my face is painted crimson, as if I were blushing."
Judge: "Really! You, embarrassed? I wonder why?"
Mantis: "The rest of my body is a flamingo-pink accentuated with waves of green. The colors the Lord displayed in me are similar to those used in flowers or sherbet ice cream."
Judge: (Turning to the beetle) "How about you?"
Beetle: "My story's similar. My eyes and antennae are unusual, but my body color is strikingly beautiful. It's been described as orange-red. More accurately, flame-red. My color is so bright, it's as though my body is on fire."
Judge: "Despite your odd looks, I have to admit that you both have beautiful complexions. It seems that only our Creator could have come up with such wonderful designs! You may hop down. Please bring in the next witness."

Judge: "Your reputation precedes you."
Hornet: "Really?!"
Judge: "Do the terms nasty, testy, cantankerous, cross, quick-tempered, or petulant mean anything to you?"
Hornet: "Once or twice I've heard them used to describe my personality."
Judge: "Once or twice?"
Hornet: "OK, OK, several times."
Judge: "How in the world do you expect us to believe that the beauty of Christ shines in you?"
Hornet: "Well, if you judge us wasps by our manners, I suppose you wouldn't."
Judge: "Wasps? I thought you were a hornet?"
Hornet: "Hornets are a type of wasp, Your Honor."
Judge: "I see... Go on."
Hornet: "We have powerful jaws and potent stings, but we don't go around stinging people just for the fun of it."
Judge: "You could have fooled me."
Hornet: "The Lord Jesus gave us stingers partly to use in finding food, and partly as a means of defense. The Heavenly Father's beauty, however, is reflected most obviously in the homes we build for our children."
Judge: "You build homes?"
Hornet: "Oh, yes! All wasps are good at building homes. Female hornets spend hours putting together nests. They start by finding a suitable location, such as a tree branch, an over-hang of a building, or even a bird house. From a thin pedestal, a horizontal layer of six-sided cells are created."
Judge: "Why six sides?"
Hornet: "The hexagonal design allows us to pack the most cells in a limited amount of space. Each cell then becomes a nursery for our young hornets. As the number of hornets and young grows, we simply add more horizontal layers of cells, separated by pedestals. Then we cover the entire nest with several layers of paper."
Judge: "Paper?"
Hornet: "Yes, we make our own paper. In fact, that's the material we use to make the cells and pedestals."
Judge: "How do you do that?"
Hornet: "We fly around and gather old wood which we chew up in our mouths. We then add a little saliva and use the wet pulp to form our nests. The end result is like papier maché. If it would please the court, I would like to present a sample of paper that wasps make."
Judge: "Doesn't look very sturdy."
Hornet: "On the contrary, our nests weigh several pounds when full, and can contain anywhere from six to fifteen horizontal layers of cells. The paper on the outside acts as insulation as well-it helps control the temperature of the nest and protects our young. Did you know that the paper covering a hornet's nest provides the same insulation as a 16- inch brick wall?"
Judge: "No, I didn't know that."
Hornet: "Our nests are not only quite functional, but beautiful as well. If we use wood from several different sources, the nest takes on a marbled appearance."
Judge: "So, you are saying that the beauty of the Lord Jesus is seen in the way you build your nests and protect your young?"
Hornet: "Precisely, Your Honor!"
Judge: "Compelling evidence! You may buzz down. Next witness, please."

Judge: "Eight legs, eight eyes; where is the beauty in that?"
Spider: "Your Honor, all spiders have eight legs, but some spiders have six, four or even two eyes. In fact, a few spiders have no eyes at all, and I know of one that has a single eye in the middle of its forehead."
Judge: "Like I said, where is the beauty in that?"
Spider: "Hey! To us spiders it's beautiful!"
Judge: "Please don't take it personally-I'm just trying to determine how spiders demonstrate the Lord's wonder. It's hard to fathom."
Spider: "If you will permit me, Judge, I will show with clarity how magnanimously spiders bring glory to our Creator."
Judge: "You use big words."
Spider: "I went to Yale."
Judge: "Yale University?!"
Spider: "Yes, I spent a lot of time in the Yale library spinning webs-great flies there!"
Judge: "Go on."
Spider: "I could take the better part of a day describing the wonderful attributes of spiders. To expedite testimony I will focus on just one-spider webs and the silk with which they're made."
Judge: "I appreciate that."
Spider: "Spider webs especially reflect the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. As a man, He was gentle, and in His humanity, fragile. His gentleness is reflected in the delicateness of our webs. Unlike your heavy buildings, our webs are extremely light. Did you know that you would have to collect a million spider webs to get a single pound of silk? Yet, despite the seeming fragility of spider webs, the silk with which they are made is extremely strong. Aborigines of Australia use spider silk as fishing lines and in fishing nets."
Judge: "Fascinating!"
Spider: "I would like to read a few facts about silk out of this book..."
Judge: "Wait a minute, you read?"
Spider: "Got to keep my eyes busy. Anyway, this book here says that spider silk is 'twice as strong as steel, finer than human hair and can be stretched to three times its own length.'* So you can see how silk reflects Jesus' gentleness and His strength at the same time."
Judge: "Not a bad argument, but where do we see Christ's beauty?"
Spider: "In the web itself. Spider webs are exceedingly complex and beautiful. The job of making a web is an incredible feat for a spider. If all the threads of a spider's web were placed end to end they would reach 300 miles!"

Judge: "No!"
Spider: "Yes, Your Honor!"
Judge: "How does the spider make all that silk?"
Spider: "Well, silk is actually a protein which is produced in the spider's silk glands. Silk starts out as a liquid, but hardens once outside the spider's body."
Judge: "Is it very durable?"
Spider: "Yes, but silk loses its stickiness after a few days and most web-building spiders spin new webs daily."
Judge: "What do they do with the old webs?"
Spider: "They eat them! That way they can recycle the protein-'Waste not, want not,' you know."
Judge: "I know, but it doesn't sound like it would be easy to fashion a new web."
Spider: "But, you see, Your Honor, that's why the character of Jesus is so magnified in our webs. The Lord has given us silk, a delicate, but strong material with which we make complex and beautiful webs.
"We could not begin to do this on our own-God gave us this ability. In fact, web-building is not learned; even newborn spiders can build complex webs. The Creator taught us these techniques before we were born! His instructions are so complete that we can build webs in total darkness without seeing what we're doing."
Judge: "Really-how incredible!"
Spider: "We're so good at making webs that NASA has even shown that we can spin them in zero gravity aboard the space shuttle.
"All these characteristics of our webs-delicateness, strength, complexity, and, especially, beauty are characters of the Lord reflected in us."
Judge: "Impressive argument. You may creep down. Please don't scare anyone on the way out."

Judge: "I fully confess my skepticism going into this hearing. I can conclude nothing new. It would be arrogant of me to do so. I must remind all of you present at this court that the writer of Ecclesiastes has already recorded God's judgment on this matter of ugliness in creation. The writer states that 'He has made everything beautiful in its time.' (Eccles. 3:11)
"I would like to thank all the witnesses present here today-you have opened my eyes to the magnitude of Christ's beauty."

* Creepy Crawlies: Ladybugs, Lobsters & Other Amazing Arthropods, (New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1991), p. 64.

Have you ever felt ugly? To do so is to feel pain. Our creepy crawly friends, like the centipede, don't realize their repulsiveness. Most people, on the other hand, feel ugly occasionally and experience the rejection that goes with it. In all creation, however, there is nothing, there is no one, ugly to God.

"Why do I see myself as unattractive, though?" you might ask. Designating someone or something as ugly is in fact wrongful judgment, especially if you are the one you are judging. There is only One capable of determining beauty-the Creator.

We can always find someone better looking than us. Our self-worth, however, does not lie in our outer appearance. The Lord says, "Let not your adornment be external only." (1 Peter 3:3 NASB) There is nothing wrong with making oneself presentable with clothing or other means, but this is not where our beauty lies. It is clear from God's creation that all living things, even centipedes, cockroaches, worms, spiders, and bugs, reflect the beauty of Christ, His Son. Our bodies reflect His beauty as well, whether we want them to or not. He put them together in a marvelous and fascinating way. We sometimes try hard to improve on His original design, but this is very difficult.

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Matt. 6:28-29)

Solomon was probably the best-dressed person on the face of the earth in his day. His majesty, however, could not even compete with the beauty of a fragile flower.

When Jesus appeared on earth He did not have the wardrobe of Solomon. Despite the modern pictures and paintings depicting Christ as tall, dark, and handsome, He probably was not. Let us consider the words of Isaiah the prophet describing Jesus' true physical appearance:

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. (Isaiah 53:2)

What made the Lord Jesus Christ wonderful and great, then? God's Spirit in Him!

If you are a believer in Christ, you know that Christ's Spirit lives in you. God's beauty lives in you and you are therefore beautiful. If your focus is on Him then you will know His beauty within, and you will not need to depend on outward appearances.

If you do not know Christ as your Creator and Savior, and you're feeling kind of ugly right now, there is a way to be infinitely attractive. Your physical appearance will not change, but you will appear beautiful to God.

At some point, we have all lived our lives independent of God and He considers this independence as sin. Everything that the Creator has made is beautiful (Eccles. 3:11); in fact, sin is the only thing in all creation He did not make. That is why it is ugly to Him! Sometimes we try to make ourselves beautiful on the outside to cover up the sin of our life which is on the inside.

There is only one way to rid yourself of true ugliness and replace it with perfect beauty-by trusting yourself to Jesus Christ, God's only Son. Christ died on a cross to cover over our sin once and for all. He promises to live inside anyone who truly believes in Him and trusts that He is who He says He is.
If you desire this kind of permanent beauty and love then please take a minute, right now, and pray this simple prayer.

Dear God, I recognize that I have lived my life independently of you and you consider this sin. Please forgive me through your Son, Jesus Christ-through His death on the cross. Jesus, please come into my heart right now and become my King and my God. I accept your gift of eternal life. Show me how to live the way you want me to live. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Contact us at HIS CREATION if you made this commitment. We want to help!