Article October 16, 1954 Issue

THE BEAUTY OF SOUL

RICHARD J. DAVIS

With poetic imagery the Psalmist wrote (Ps. 27:4), "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple," and (Ps. 90:16, 17): "Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us." Christian Science reveals the beauty of God in our reflection of Soul's infinitude. In Science man is seen as the expression of Soul's being, and this divine fact understood and demonstrated is externalized in one's human environment and surroundings, bringing into his experience unlimited enjoyment of all that is beautiful and essentially good. Through an appreciation of Soul we discern the true spiritual basis of art in its infinite meaning and manifestation. Soul as a synonym of God naturally finds an expression in the fine arts. Soul includes and expresses the inspirational qualities of Mind revealed in painting, design, and sculpture. Soul is the basis of all real form, outline, and color.

Because of his reflection of Soul, one loves and appreciates music and possesses the ability to express himself musically. Soul is the source of all true melody and rhythm. The qualities of grace, freedom, and dominion appear and are demonstrated in the art of the dance. The tonal beauty, power, and color of the voice must have their true origin in Soul. The basic cause of all pure artistic expression, therefore, resides in Soul, or God.

In Science we learn that the first steps in bringing forth a true sense of art are not necessarily educational, but are inspirational. An outstanding woman artist once said that she believed that anyone moved by a sincere and honest impulse—and by that she meant divine inspiration—could successfully convey this inspiration to canvas, and that the spiritual power of the idea would externalize the right human technique even if there had been no educational process.

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