Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
The words beauty and symmetry almost go hand-in-hand, not synonymous but so closely linked they seem inseparable. It’s the reason why we are drawn to a snowy mountain’s mirror image reflected in a glass-smooth lake. Perhaps that’s why John alluded to the Sea of Glass as he sought to paint for us the ideal picture of what it will be like to experience the New Earth.
We see symmetry on display throughout nature, often in bilateral form as displayed in the outstretched wings of Heliconus melpomeme , a long-winged butterfly of the American tropics. Each half seems to mirror the other half, bringing balance and beauty to our awareness. We see this same idea of exquisiteness displayed in beauty pageants where the winner is judged to possess perfect proportions to perfection.
Amazing as it might seem, each one of us is encouraged to display this same kind of beauty, a reflected beauty that has no equal. Take Paul’s word for it: “But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 Living Bible) Isn’t that amazing; you, I, can reflect a mirror image of Christ. And to top it off, we are promised that that beauty will continue to grow – perfection, continuing to grow.