It may be in the eye of the beholder, but this beholder sees beauty in the world God created. The colors, shapes, and birdsongs of nature are templates for artists to follow.  

I’ve never liked horror movies. They are ugly to me. I don’t need to watch hideous creatures rise from the deep to destroy civilization. I’m not entertained by grotesque violence.  

When I was lying in an ICU with my chest cracked open—sedated, intubated, and on a ventilator—I had very disturbing hallucinations. One was a descent into hell. It was a spiked ball with a light barely flickering inside speeding down a narrow corridor. It accelerated on the way down, careening from side to side with no bottom in sight, and it was taking me with it. Eventually something brought me out of it, and I could see the light of day outside my window. I could see beauty.

Streaming platforms push the limits to produce “original” content and gain subscribers. People seem to like this stuff. No one seems too concerned about the degradation of our society.

Jesus taught us to take a thoughtful look at the flowers in the field. He said that not even Solomon at the height of his glory was as impressive as the lilies in full bloom. The Bible encourages us: “Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). Beauty is praiseworthy like a sunrise.