Christian Beauty and Building Update
In 1 Kings 10 the queen of Sheba visits Solomon to “test him with hard questions.” She had heard of Solomon’s abundant wisdom and wanted to verify the reports for herself. Her time with Solomon did not disappoint. Verse 4 and 5 says,
“And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.” (1 Kings 10:4-5)
Solomon’s wisdom was not only found in the truth that he spoke but also in the beauty of his kingdom which the queen of Sheba witnessed with her eyes. It was what she saw in his kingdom that took her breath away. She went on to say to Solomon,
“…The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” (1 Kings 10:6-9)
This passage highlights the importance of beauty. There is wisdom communicated through aesthetics. What moved the queen of Sheba to praise the one true God is what she saw. Too often beauty is used by those who wish to deceive or manipulate and too often beauty is neglected by Christians who think of it as arbitrary and subjective. When spiritual beauty and physical beauty are aligned there is a potent effect. This principal is true in the splendor of Solomon’s kingdom but every bit as true in the humble beauty of a warm and inviting home. Outward beauty ought to reflect an inward beauty which does not fade.
At Ancient Paths we want to cultivate a love for God’s transcendent beauty in all of our students. We want this love for beauty to be reflected in how we dress and steward our space God has blessed us with. That is why we have spent the last two months coming together to clean, paint, repair, and update our building space. We want the way we care for and present our classrooms and hallways to say something about who we are in Christ. There is still a lot of work left to do and I am incredibly thankful for all of the effort that has been put forth so far.
Grace and Peace,
Joshua Lister Ancient Paths Christian & Classical Academy - Headmaster