The Triumph of Beauty
The Triumph of Beauty: God’s Radiant Answer to the World’s Growing Darkness is releasing in one week. This is the book that I have longed to write for many years. The Church worldwide seems to be in a very “low” moment in her history. People young and old from within the Church as well as outside of the body of Christ are dismissing, diminishing, complaining, attacking, critiquing, or abandoning Her altogether. I am thankful for the mercy and graciousness of Jesus on this matter, as I am not certain I would be as patient with the multitudes who expressed such a low opinion of my own bride.
I want an opinion about the Bride of Christ that is fueled by His vision. I want to think about His Church the way that He does. This book, The Triumph of Beauty: God’s Radiant Answer to the World’s Growing Darkness is my best attempt to align my own heart with the heart of Jesus for who the Church is today, when She might not look beautiful to us. I want to agree with Jesus about the Church’s destiny tomorrow, when She is His merciful answer to the world’s rejection of His Father.
My hope and prayer are twofold. First, I pray that this book re-energizes you with a gospel-centric view of the Church, church leadership, and weak and broken people that Jesus loves and wants to make truly radiant and beautiful – yourself included. Second, I hope that, if this book moves and encourages you, that you would recommend it to others that would be served by it. I want the message of this book to “run swiftly and be glorified” as it shifts us from a critical or wounded spirit to an intercessory one. To see the Church as Jesus does is to be converted by His matchless love, which births an ache in our souls to labor intercession for Her greatness. This is the heart and thrust of the apostolic prayers of the New Testament, and the great passion of Jesus’ heart.
The great “reward of His sufferings”, as was once stated by a Moravian missionary many centuries ago, is a beautiful Church that loves Him with a fiery, unquenchable love. I wonder if we have, at times, secretly started believing that this quality of love from the Church is even really possible in our lifetime. I believe that it is an inevitability, and that it will be a testimony of His incredible, perfect leadership. Let’s carry that story together as we fight for the full beauty of the “darling of His heart”, the Bride of Christ.