A Spiritual Beauty Contest

by Orlando Gonzalez

I have a question: Which is more beautiful, a 2015 Aston Martin DB10 or a Madonna Lily?

I know, I know. You might be asking yourself, “Orlando, what kind of question is that? You can’t compare a luxury car to a mere flower. What’s wrong with you?”

Yes, I understand what you mean, for these two inanimate objects are so fundamentally different that you can’t logically conceive any good reason for making such a comparison. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. One is crunchy and sweet (or tart, depending on the breed), while the other has thick, peelable skin with a soft “flesh” that is incredibly juicy and aromatic. There’s just nothing there… Or is there?

I bring this question up because it brings forth this interesting conundrum: Can you truly compare a car to a flower in some way, shape, or form and determine which one is better in that specific area? Because, believe it or not, I truly believe you can. It’s the same with comparing apples and oranges; you can compare them because they are both fruits. You can base the comparison on flavor, texture, ease of consumption, and presentation if they are both fruits. Thus, comparing an apple to an orange is possible and even reasonable. Since that is the case, we will make this comparison based on visual and spiritual characteristics to analyze and conclude which is actually more beautiful. After all, one is a man-made object, and the other is a god-made object. Both objects were brainstormed, engineered, and crafted by creators, after all.

“Wait,” you might say, “but beauty is subjective, though, and did you just say 'spiritual'? What do you mean by that? And how can you determine a fact from a measure that virtually everyone has different tastes on?”

First, yes, I did say “spiritual”, and what I mean is that we’re going to look at the inner essence (or dominating personality traits) of the two, similar to how we would describe people by the state of their “hearts”. Secondly, I can find the answer and determine it as fact by looking at God’s Word. During the sermon on the mountain, Jesus Christ stated in Matthew 6:28-29,

“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.” (LSB)

I want you to notice that not only did Jesus make an unusual comparison between the wisest and wealthiest man who had ever lived to a seemingly insignificant flower to make a point to help with anxiety, but he also made a definitive conclusion that one was much more glorious than the other. Jesus, God in the flesh, determined that the lily was more beautiful than Solomon at the height of his reign. It’s quite marvelous to think about. Since whatever God says is true (Romans 3:4, Hebrews 6:18), it must be a fact that a flower is much more beautiful than a king like Solomon, but how can that be, and why is that the case? To determine this, we must first look at what beauty is.

According to Merriam-Webster, beauty is “the quality or group of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind: loveliness.” Granted, you can rightfully argue that beauty can’t be restricted to just a dictionary definition, and I agree, as there is much more to beauty than words are capable of properly capturing and conveying what it is (I recommend seeing Doy Moyer’s article to learn more about this matter). Still, I want to bring this definition up to establish some foundation.

This definition reminds me to look at the hearts of the people I come in contact with to determine whether they are truly beautiful. The age-old saying is, “Do not judge a book by its cover.” There are some exceptions to this rule, of course. Still, the point of this saying is that the innermost qualities of someone (personality, skills, knowledge, etiquette, etc.) or something (behavior, function, representation) are much more important than the outward visual qualities. There’s also the other saying: “Appearances can be deceitful”. It’s funny, yet at the same time, disappointing, how we as human beings constantly give in to our senses when we lay our eyes upon a shiny, fancy, clean, and expensive product that will help bolster our appearances to satisfy our egos and to get everyone to pay attention and praise us for what we own, even at the risk of damaging our spiritual integrity (I John 2:16).

To use a couple of examples to illustrate this, you may know a woman who is incredibly physically attractive and healthy, but if she has a heart of stone and a mind full of wickedness, then it is better to live alone for the rest of your life than to marry her (Proverbs 21:19). There may also be a seemingly nice house that you saw online that is up for sale, with the ad stating that it was recently renovated and is selling at an outstandingly low price compared to what’s out there on the market. You ask for a tour, you take a look around while the seller tells you what they did, you believe what he says, you decide to take it, fill out the paperwork, buy the house, move in, and… You find out that the basement is flooded after one bad rainstorm due to the foundation being compromised and covered up by the seller.

While God wants us to appreciate beauty (after all, he made us with minds that have the natural ability to recognize beautiful things), we ought to be extremely careful and be on guard when we set our eyes on people or things that will tempt us to turn away from God. This is one of the many methods Satan takes advantage of our senses to trap us in a snare.

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24 LSB).

In the context of vehicles, the wealthy and elite tend to desire more than just what they need when they’re out car shopping; they want a vehicle that matches their personality, is made out of the highest quality materials you could find on the market, is made by a highly-reputable brand, and, most importantly, carries such excellent craftsmanship that you could say that four-wheeled tool is a rolling work of art. There is a large market for these people, so luxury car brands like Rolls-Royce, Mercedes, Bentley, and Aston Martin are commonly associated with financially rich and influential members of society. Their main demographic is people with deep pockets who want something that shows off their wealth, so they will ensure that they develop the most beautifully designed cars the world has ever seen. This applies to any other product made by human hands to achieve breathtaking visual magnificence: purses, clothing, jewelry, furniture, electronic appliances, you name it. Many of us are just so self-conscious about how others perceive us that we feel the need to put in ludicrous amounts of money to either show off to others how much we have achieved in our lives or feel accepted and “normal,” like some who decide to get plastic surgery even though they didn’t need it.

Sadly, this is how beauty is often abused; the pursuit of visual perfection causes us to lose sight of what matters in life. We end up turning beauty into an idol (Exodus 20:3) and forget our goal of working towards spiritual perfection (Matthew 5:48, James 1:4, Ephesians 4:13). What many don’t know and may never realize until their deaths is that physical beauty is both temporary and surface level. Mega-mansions do look impressive, but they will one day deteriorate and collapse. Sprawling cities with massive skylines will turn to ruins one day. Clothes will unravel and tear apart after so many uses and washes, and cars will succumb to the elements, no matter how much you try to preserve and maintain them. I guarantee you that any car enthusiast would love for vehicles like the Aston Martin DB10 to be indestructible and exist forever. Still, the reality is that they are just like any other tool. It will serve its purpose until it cannot anymore; hence, there is no point in stressing out in keeping it as close to how it rolled off from the factory floor as possible (ref. Matthew 6:19-24).

Cars only exist to satisfy the desires and needs of mankind, and this is another thing that people often miss: Car lovers will put so much time, money, thought, and passion into these machines that they will center their lives around them and will even romanticize them, carrying such a deep emotional attachment to them that they will see them as “living entities” (Jeremy Clarkson, Love the Beast, 2009). Can you imagine how much you must worry about getting a scratch or a dent on your luxury SUV? To the material man, it would be an eyesore!

But what about the Madonna lily? What about this “small” workmanship of God? When you first glance at it, it is a lovely-looking flower, but you might say there isn’t much “substance to it” and move on. However, our Lord stated that this was much more glorious than King Solomon, so there has to be something truly remarkable about this small plant. Fortunately, Jesus strongly hinted at what it was. He stated, “They do not toil nor do they spin,” implying that the beauty of the lily isn’t so much its looks but rather its behavior. Its existence displays simplicity, modesty, gentleness, humility, tranquility, and purity. It does not stress what might happen in the future or what it needs to handle, nor is it cautious about the dangers around it. It is simply there, seemingly enjoying the fact that it exists, thanks to the mind of God in calm reflection.

Would anyone out there love to always be in a state like this? I know I would! And yet, we still have many people who strive after king, presidential, and governor roles to obtain power, money, and status without seemingly considering the amount of stress these jobs would come from the sheer work and responsibility you have to take care of.

And before you say, “Oh, Orlando, you’re looking too deep into it,” may I remind you that humans constantly do this with art every day and do so in unnecessarily far-reaching ways? If we are willing to place four hideous pillars of ship parts over I-80 and I-29 in Council Bluffs, Iowa and accept the artist’s explanation of the meaning behind the work as “an act of passage, of creating a sense of place and an identity” [Albert Paley, Sculptsite.com, 2010], then I think it’s more than reasonable to look deep into a product made by the greatest artist who lived, and who will live for the rest of time and beyond.

Colossians 1:16 demonstrates that every piece of creation in this universe has a purpose, even the Madonna lily.

“For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him” (LSB).

Notice how it mentioned that all things were created for Him. Why? God isn’t a being that needs anything to continue existing and get by in his life (Acts 17:24-25), so what could the physical world do for Him, especially the beauty of it? David and the Apostle Paul tell us that all of creation, from the grand vastness of the cosmos to the small existence of madonna lilies, is meant to give us a better understanding of who God really is.

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and the expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalms 19:1 LSB).

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 LSB).

With all this being said, it is clear that the Madonna lily reigns supreme over not just a DB10 but any work mankind has ever created. This flower was made to reflect on who the Master is, a being who looks at things from a much different and much better point of view (Isaiah 55:8-9). We should all heed Elihu's words when he rebuked Job: “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders” (Job 37:14 LSB). Deeply contemplating and reminiscing on nature makes us better understand and appreciate God. He is a God of solid order, needed purpose, great imagination, and majestic spiritual beauty. His sense of beauty, in particular, lies in simplicity and elegance, perfectly balancing His work to make every piece of His creation uncluttered and highlight what's essential, allowing us to focus on what truly matters and find joy in life's uncomplicated and anxiety-free periods.

I do wish I had found out about this sooner. When I was younger, I had an unhealthy obsession with cars, foolishly thinking that they were so awesome that God would be impressed by them. Fortunately, I came into contact and formed deep bonds with members at the La Vista Church of Christ, who deeply appreciated flowers and plants of various kinds. After becoming an official member there, I wondered why their interests were in things that did nothing but act pretty. Still, my mentor, Jeffrey W. Hamilton, an avid photographer who commonly takes photos of flowers, and Garry Floyd, a hardcore plant fanatic, showed me that there is something truly special about having a finely designed work of God live in your home, under your care. This revelation, while simple and easy to understand, has helped me to grow into a much more mature man than I was a few years ago. I hope that more people will go outside more often, look up at the stars, or observe the wildlife around them and realize that there are many more important things to think about than what you want to look like or what someone else might think of you.