Fr. Stephen Freeman, an Orthodox priest in Tennessee, has a beautiful new article up on his web site entitled “The Beauty of Truth and the Existence of God.” It reminded me of our Summer 2012 series on beauty”
In considering existence we see not only that it is – but that it is beautiful. In science this beauty is described as “elegance.” Our modern world now takes for granted Einstein’s equation, e=mc2. The wonder of the equation is not only in what it says about matter and energy (that they are interchangeable), but in its pure, simple elegance. Who would have thought that the interchange of matter and energy could be accurately expressed in such an elegant manner?
This is but a minor example. The universe is replete with such expressions – not only because it exists – but because it is beautiful. The unbeliever can, of course, dismiss this as a mere artifact of physics – but that, too, begs the question. When the Christian learns to argue less and wonder more then we can suggest that as we stand before all that exists and see its beauty – its elegance – we wonder – together. The Christian claim is that the Beauty and Wonder of existence became incarnate in the Person of Christ.