Loveliness All Around

Some people just exude loveliness. I've been so blessed to know many people like that in my lifetime. How about you?

A little over twelve years ago, I met Vicki when I was auditioning for a Music Director opening at her church. She was so well spoken, kind, and enthusiastic . . . lovely in every way. I later found out she was a Communications professor at NCSU. She was the one who introduced me to the regular and good use of the word “lovely.”

“That would be lovely.”

“It’s lovely how … “

And so on. Her view of the world included so much loveliness and she communicated that to others by her choice of words, including generous sprinkling of the word “lovely” in her one-on-one encounters with friends. 

The longing for loveliness lies in the heart of all people. Sometimes it is buried, obscured, neglected, or overshadowed, but it is still there. Can just using that word bring out its depths, clothe it in light?

Julie Andrews in MY FAIR LADY

In the musical “My Fair Lady,” Eliza Doolittle imagines what it would be like to live a comfortable, proper life in the song, “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” The irony of the song is the juxtaposition of things and circumstances she suspects are lovely with her Cockney mispronunciation of “loverly.”

Lovely = love + ly (like) = love-like or having the characteristic of love.

Loveliness = love + ly  + ness (the state/quality/measure of the word it modifies) = being full of love.

Loveliness -- rooted in love. A close friend to beauty and all that brings joyful, peaceful meaning to life. 

Last week I attended the memorial service for my friend Izabela. Leukemia unexpectedly and ruthlessly entered her world at Thanksgiving. She battled it bravely, with the grace and loveliness with which she normally lived. Yet she lost the battle and died at the peak of her career and lovely life. Where is the loveliness in that?

A young pastor is suffering this morning in an Iranian prison for his crime of serving orphans, and choosing another religion besides the state edicted one. Where is the loveliness in that?

Another friend is scheduled for surgery next week to remove a malignant melanoma. Where is the loveliness in that?

In last night’s news, I read that two people had died in the blizzard that is pulsating in the Midwest. Where is the loveliness in that?

King David encountered similar perplexing, gut wrenching circumstances in his life. He turns that question on its head in Psalm 27 by asking, “whom shall I fear?” and provides the key for finding loveliness in the midst of adversity:

Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid? ² When evil men advance against me
    to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me,
    they will stumble and fall. ³ Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear; though war break out against me,
    even then will I be confident.

⁴ One thing I ask of the Lord,
    this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple. ⁵ For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
    and set me high upon a rock.

Yes, where is the loveliness when life bites? A former pastor often reminded us that we live in a fallen world. So true. But it is also true that the imprint of the Creator God, His loving-kindness and goodness are all around. So often we are blind to this, especially in the small but lovely things that present themselves daily: 

~ The kind light in a loved one’s eyes

~  The song of a bird outside the window

~ The faithful rising and setting of the sun

~ Food to satisfy our needs and often delight our senses 

~ Shelter from the cold and rain

~ The joy of children, the elderly, friends, and families.

~ Marvelous functioning of our heart, lungs, and blood supply without our direction or thinking 

~ Music, art, poetry, literature across the ages for our refreshment and growth in loveliness

~ God himself

In the Psalm above, David knew the paradox-mystery of life. He found beauty, loveliness in the Lord's presence when life threw it's worst at him. When we accept that mystery of life too--the dual ugliness, which will pass away, and the beauty of God, which will triumph ultimately and endure forever--then we can become full of loveliness speech and thought today like my friend Vicki.

One hymn I especially like to reflect on during this season of Lent is “My Song Is Love Unknown.” Both the beautiful text and melody help me to reflect on the unfathomable loveliness of Christ's sacrifice for me and for you. You can hear this hymn at one of these links in a recording I made just this week.

My Song Is Love Unknown - Youtube video

My Song Is Love Unknown - downloadable audio on Soundcloud

 

The lovely text is as follows:

My song is love unknown,

My Savior’s love to me.

Love to the loveless shown

That they might lovely be.

Oh, who am I, that for my sake

My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

Read the remaining stanzas here.

I’m going to keep my eyes open for loveliness today. How about you? And especially in those dark, clouded moments, may we find the loveliness that underlies all of life through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MUSIC LINKS for Psalm 27

From Hillsong - One Thing

A setting in Hebrew - Adonai Ori

A high school choir singing at the National Cathedral - The Lord Is My Light

Guildford Cathedral Choir - A Choral Chant Version

John Rutter's setting with the Cambridge Singers