Think About These Things

by Mathew Block

Have you ever heard a beautiful piece of music which made your heart swell? Or had an unexpected epiphany while reading? Or been inspired by the story of someone who did what was right even when it was hard? Or been moved upon hearing an act of extravagant love bestowed upon the weak or the suffering?

I hope you have. And I hope you seek out additional opportunities to encounter such beauty, truth, and goodness in your daily life.

Near the end of one of his letters, St. Paul encourages us with the following words: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). Sometimes we assume incorrectly that this refers only to “religious” things. But in fact, everything in creation is part of the “religious world,” because all of creation was made by a Creator. And what He made—even though it has since fallen into sin—He made good.

We can still find glimpses of that goodness present in the world today, and where we find it we are called to receive it as a gift from God. For “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,” as St. James says, “coming down from the Father of lights” (1:17).

This ties in to the Lutheran understanding of how God works in the world. We teach that God is present under many “masks,” working through ordinary people to bestow His blessings among us, even though we do not always realize it. “What else is all our work,” Martin Luther asks, other than “the masks of God, behind which He wants to remain concealed and do all things” (LW 14)? Behind whatever good we do in this life, God is at work, bringing about that good through us.

We understand that intuitively when it comes to certain professions. We thank God, for example, for our daily bread while recognizing that He provides it through the work of farmers, bakers, truckers, and grocers. Likewise, we thank God when we are healed, all the while recognizing that He accomplishes such healing through doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. God wears these “masks” to do us good.

But God is also at work—sometimes less obviously—in other vocations too: artists, actors, musicians, novelists, poets, philosophers, professors, and more. That doesn’t mean that everything they produce is in keeping with God’s will. But where they succeed in creating something beautiful or true or good—then God has worked through them whether they recognize it or not. Think of St. Paul commending pagan poets for expressing the beautiful truth that we are all God’s children (Acts 17:28). Because God is the ultimate source of all things praiseworthy, we should receive them with thanks, whatever their human origin.

So then, embrace truth, goodness, and beauty wherever you find it. But don’t stop there. Look beyond these things to the God who imbues creation with truth, goodness, and beauty. As Johann Arndt wrote in the 17^th century, ask yourself: “If you love something beautiful, why do you not love God who is the source of all beauty? If you love something good, why do you not love God who is the eternal good?” (tr. Peter Erb). He certainly loves you—love which He has revealed in the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

In this world, there is always the danger that we might love something beautiful or good or wise more than God. Indeed, the temptation goes all the way back to Eden: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6). When we desire any creature more than its Creator, we sin.

But when we receive these praiseworthy things not as ends in themselves but rather as gifts from God, then we do well. For the God who died upon a cross to save us from our sins died also to redeem the whole of creation. He made this good world, and He will restore it at last when He unveils the new heaven and earth.

Our features this issue help us to better see God’s goodness present in the world. Rev. Dr. Thomas Korcok reflects in greater detail on the timeless standards of eternal truth, goodness, and beauty (page six). Rev. Dr. Joel D. Heck, meanwhile, reflects on C.S. Lewis’ book The Abolition of Man and what it can teach us about objective value (page nine).

O God, You fill this fallen world with many praiseworthy things. Teach us to think upon that which is beautiful and true and good, and to turn our eyes from evil. Especially, dear Father, fix our eyes upon Your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ—who is in Himself Truth and Goodness and Beauty. Amen.

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Mathew Block is editor of The Canadian Lutheran and the Communications Manager of the International Lutheran Council (ILC).

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