Please go and check out this video on our friend Brett's blog. It is really telling of what our culture has become...setting up standards of beauty that are not only outrageously unrealistic, but also completely fabricated. Since we dabble in the photography business, I am completely aware of how easy it is to get on a slippery slope with the post-photo shoot processing of images in Photoshop as Brett talks about. But the beauty industry has taken it to a level that makes it 100% impossible to measure up to the standards that they are setting. Also, take the time to read the comments at the bottom of Brett's post. Josh (Brett's brother) is a college student and has some really interesting thoughts on seeing people in a new light.
I am also currently reading a book about a woman who was injured in a fire and has burns and scars covering half of her face. She talks about the way that people gawk at her, recoil from her, won't make eye contact with her, and generally just avoid her. A man enters the story who himself has been damaged by life's circumstances (only his scars are all on the inside), and he is the first person who is able to look at her, speak of the scars matter of factly, and eventually even finds beauty in them because of her story, her heart, and who God created her to be. All of this really has me pondering how much I look at the outside, how often I make assumptions about people because of their outward appearance, how I might even go out of my way to AVOID someone because of they way that the look. Harsh truth it is.
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
3 comments:
Can you link the blog? I'd like to see the video...
Our message at church last week was on that verse in 1 Samuel. It's really been at the forefront of my mind, lately, too. I've been feeling very convicted about this. Thanks for the post! Love you!
Very cool video. I love me some photoshop, but in this case, I hate it.
Now that I am getting older, in the fall of my life, I relate with your comments. As I teach my students -- our most important sense is our vision -- could not do my job without it -- attracts us to others -- draws us to the clothing racks. Yet, there is much more to us than the visual. After all the Word says that Jesus was uncomely, not the handsome Savior that appears in film. It appears that David wasn't the dashing man that we all envision him to be. God looks at the heart that is drawn to HIM. I pray that I and all of his children will begin to do a makeover on our hearts. Imagine a people that run after the Lord like the deer runs after the water brook! We will truly impact others by what we are rather than what we appear to be. Terri
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