Fear and Beauty

A friend of mine scuba dives all over the world. I asked his wife if she dives too. “I used to be terrified of the ocean. I used to sit on the boat and wait for him. But now I dive! Now, I love it.”

“What got you over your fear?”, I asked.

“Beauty. I was so drawn to the beauty of what was underneath. Eventually I dove and I haven’t stopped”.

Photo by NEOM on Unsplash

I haven’t stopped thinking about that conversation. It wasn’t bravery or courage or grit that set her free from her fear. It wasn’t even the loneliness of long waits that compelled her. It was being captivated by beauty. We all long to gaze upon creation and discover the beauty she exudes. What we do with that longing matters. As I sit with that conversation I’m reminded of Psalm 27:3-4:

”My heart will not fear even if an army rises to attack. I will not be shaken, even if war is imminent. Here’s the one thing I crave from Yahweh, the one thing I seek above all else: I want to live with him every moment in his house, beholding the marvelous beauty of Yahweh, filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace.”

Sometimes the answer is hidden in plain sight. What if we allowed ourselves to be captivated by Him? I wonder what else we could overcome.