Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Associated Baptist Press Foundation
    • Planned Giving
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs and More
    • Transitions
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Donate Subscribe
Search Search this site

Amid this catastrophic pandemic, beauty will save us – if we pay attention

OpinionDoyle Sager  |  April 13, 2020

Slogging through the COVID-19 pandemic is a daily exercise in perseverance and improvisation. As a pastor, I’m daily challenged to discover new ways to lead and care, all the while using unfamiliar technology as I announce God’s Good News. And I’m attempting all that as I manage my own fears, frustrations and grief.

So, it probably wouldn’t surprise you that a few days ago I found myself crying as I drove alone in my Camry. The tears, however, were not about the latest news about sickness and death inflicted on our world by the novel coronavirus. I was weeping at the astounding beauty of Luciano Pavarotti’s crystal-clear tenor coming through my speakers, soaring to the heavens – and in the process, lifting me.

Please understand. I’m not trying to be pretentious by mentioning opera. To be honest, I wouldn’t recognize a recitative if it bit me. All I know is that as I daily tamp down my own sense of dread, I’m finding comfort in the inexplicable, the mysterious and the beautiful.

The evangelical church has often viewed the arts with suspicion. But, as N.T. Wright reminds us in Simply Christian, “The arts are not pretty but irrelevant bits around the border of reality. They are highways into the center of reality.” Today we need beauty more than ever.

“In the midst of ugliness, beauty patiently waits to be named and known.”

“Beauty will save the world,” declared Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. Granted, not everyone is drawn to concert halls or art museums. For some, it’s a walk beside a quiet lake or watching the sun rise while sipping coffee. Regardless, Dostoevsky is right: beauty will save us. But this rescue will happen only if we’re paying attention.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the word “apocalyptic” is used frequently to describe something catastrophic and potentially world-ending. But the word literally means an unveiling or revealing (thus the name of the final book in Christian scripture, “The Revelation,” or “The Apocalypse”). The coronavirus pandemic unveils what is already present in our hearts, good and bad; it uncovers what is broken in our political and economic order just as surely as it shines a light on all that is beautiful about the human spirit.

Rudiger Schleicher, like his brother-in-law Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was imprisoned in 1944 for his resistance to Hitler. Schleicher was incessantly interrogated by the Nazis (interrogation being a euphemism for beatings and torture). Even in those harsh conditions, Schleicher found the energy to play the violin. As the music resounded through the halls, the young SS guards would open hallway doors allowing the glorious strains to fill the entire wing of the German prison.

This account “unveils” much about the abhorrent capacity for evil in the human heart; yet it also unveils so much of what is beautiful about being human.

In John’s Gospel, a woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus, providing him a pre-burial anointing. In beautiful understatement, John reports, “The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” Judas, the one who would betray Jesus, complained about the woman’s extravagant act. Once again, scripture contrasts the stench of death with the aroma of life. In the midst of ugliness, beauty patiently waits to be named and known.

I’ll let my son have the last word. Joel is a visual artist and founder and co-owner of an art gallery. He recently posted on Facebook some pictures of his favorite room in the Frick Museum in New York City. He closed his post with these words:

“Enjoy some art today and remember what it tells us about being alive.”

Read more BNG news and opinion on this topic:
#intimeslikethese

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)

OPINION: Views expressed in Baptist News Global columns and commentaries are solely those of the authors.
Tags:beautypandemicCoronavirus#intimesliketheseDostoevsky
More by
Doyle Sager
  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Featured

    • Angels among us

      Opinion

    • Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope

      News

    • If a story is meant to evolve, then so are we

      Opinion

    • He was wrongly put on Death Row and believes you could be too

      News


    Curated

    • Israel’s Reform rabbi and legislator on judicial overhaul: ‘It doesn’t look good.’

      Israel’s Reform rabbi and legislator on judicial overhaul: ‘It doesn’t look good.’

    • Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan

      Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan

    • Pope promotes ‘humanitarian corridors’ for asylum-seekers

      Pope promotes ‘humanitarian corridors’ for asylum-seekers

    • Tim Keller and Beth Moore, On and Off the Stage

      Tim Keller and Beth Moore, On and Off the Stage

    Read Next:

    Karen Swallow Prior to leave Southeastern Seminary

    NewsMark Wingfield

    More Articles

    • All
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Curated
    • Egged on by evangelical influence, Ugandan Parliament passes harsh new anti-gay bill

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • Judge’s dismissal of 36 churches’ lawsuit holds implications for other UMC departures

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • ‘Woke’: I don’t think that word means what you say it does

      OpinionRoger Lovette

    • Why a potential indictment of Donald Trump will matter so little to most of his Christian supporters

      AnalysisRobert P. Jones

    • Increased frequency of church attendance correlates with decreased interpersonal trust

      AnalysisMallory Challis

    • The Russian Orthodox Church is a big loser in the Russian-Ukrainian war

      OpinionAndrey Shirin

    • Barna finds pastors are exhausted and isolated, which could be an opportunity for change

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • On the path to immigration justice, it’s time for Biden to change course

      OpinionSalote Soqo

    • One-third of Northern Seminary students express no confidence in trustees

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • He was wrongly put on Death Row and believes you could be too

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • If a story is meant to evolve, then so are we

      OpinionKaitlin Curtice

    • Paula Faris makes a case for motherhood

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Angels among us

      OpinionMary Alice Birdwhistell

    • Let’s stop treating the dignity of women as a secondary issue good Christians can disagree on

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • First American woman appointed a missionary beat the system by funding herself

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • An Anglican in Babylon

      OpinionLee Enochs

    • Jimmy Carter leads by example one last time

      NewsMallory Challis

    • Listen to the voices of women

      OpinionKathy Manis Findley

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Karen Swallow Prior to leave Southeastern Seminary

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Acting chair of Northern Seminary board resigns in protest of board’s ‘official silence’ about Shiell

      NewsElizabeth Souder

    • This Women’s History Month, complementarianism is trending on TikTok

      AnalysisMallory Challis

    • Stranger in the Village: James Baldwin and inclusion

      OpinionGreg Garrett, Senior Columnist

    • Amid rampant antisemitism, most Americans think highly of Jews 

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Egged on by evangelical influence, Ugandan Parliament passes harsh new anti-gay bill

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • Judge’s dismissal of 36 churches’ lawsuit holds implications for other UMC departures

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Barna finds pastors are exhausted and isolated, which could be an opportunity for change

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • One-third of Northern Seminary students express no confidence in trustees

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • He was wrongly put on Death Row and believes you could be too

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Paula Faris makes a case for motherhood

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • First American woman appointed a missionary beat the system by funding herself

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Jimmy Carter leads by example one last time

      NewsMallory Challis

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Karen Swallow Prior to leave Southeastern Seminary

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Acting chair of Northern Seminary board resigns in protest of board’s ‘official silence’ about Shiell

      NewsElizabeth Souder

    • Amid rampant antisemitism, most Americans think highly of Jews 

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Two days after filing suit against SBC, ‘Pastor Johnny’ was preaching in Georgia

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • ‘Pastor Johnny’ sues the SBC and Guidepost

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • UMC agency asks to monitor bishop’s case as suspicion rises

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Polling is shifting on conservatives’ attitudes on immigration

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Denny Burk pushes back against Rick Warren’s new understanding of women in ministry

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Akin apologizes for tweet about slavery but is chastised by the SBC’s far-right

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • 80,000 Jews have fled Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Africa’s freelance prophets are breaking free of denominations

      NewsNyasha Bhobo

    • Transitions for the week of 3-17-23

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • CeCe Winans believes it

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • BSK seeks input on youth and children’s ministries

      NewsPat Cole

    • Alliance of Baptists and others urge Congress to divert military funds to social services

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • ‘Woke’: I don’t think that word means what you say it does

      OpinionRoger Lovette

    • The Russian Orthodox Church is a big loser in the Russian-Ukrainian war

      OpinionAndrey Shirin

    • On the path to immigration justice, it’s time for Biden to change course

      OpinionSalote Soqo

    • If a story is meant to evolve, then so are we

      OpinionKaitlin Curtice

    • Angels among us

      OpinionMary Alice Birdwhistell

    • Let’s stop treating the dignity of women as a secondary issue good Christians can disagree on

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • An Anglican in Babylon

      OpinionLee Enochs

    • Listen to the voices of women

      OpinionKathy Manis Findley

    • Stranger in the Village: James Baldwin and inclusion

      OpinionGreg Garrett, Senior Columnist

    • How can we say thanks? Reflections on the influence of Andrae Crouch

      OpinionDoug Haney

    • The SBC: ‘They are who we thought they were’

      OpinionKris Aaron

    • Blowing the whistle on wedding fouls

      OpinionBrad Bull

    • ‘Grandmas make the best banana bread’

      OpinionJustin Cox

    • Troubling the water, a gospel for the ‘unmet’

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • What has happened to suspended UMC Latina bishop?

      OpinionCynthia Astle

    • When we can’t hear our children’s cries

      OpinionSusan K. Smith

    • How I realized I had been shaped by patriarchal views of pastors

      OpinionTambi Brown Swiney

    • My home state is no longer safe for my family

      OpinionLucas Land

    • Saying the quiet part out loud

      OpinionLindsay Bergstrom

    • Tennessee representative who proposed execution by ‘hanging by a tree’ needs a history lesson

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • Letter to the Editor: Call out leaders’ bad behavior

      OpinionLetters to the Editor

    • Three years ago today, our world changed

      OpinionMolly Brummett Wudel

    • Sometimes it’s not a good idea to quote the Bible

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Shelter from the storm: The Asbury revival as Woodstock 2.0

      OpinionAlan Bean

    • Lessons from a Hindu wedding: What if the point of evangelism is friendship?

      OpinionSusan M. Shaw, Senior Columnist

    • Israel’s Reform rabbi and legislator on judicial overhaul: ‘It doesn’t look good.’

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pope promotes ‘humanitarian corridors’ for asylum-seekers

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Tim Keller and Beth Moore, On and Off the Stage

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Alarmed by their country’s political direction, more Israelis are seeking to move abroad

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • 2nd Vatican official says pope OK’d ransom payments for nun

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Across the country, a push to observe Muslim holidays in school calendars

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Far-right Israeli minister finds enemy in JDC, the mainstream American Jewish aid group

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Charter school movement divided over religious Oklahoma proposal

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Racial Justice Leaders Are Calling For An End To Deadly Traffic Stops

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Russian Christians Make Theological Case for Peace

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Preemptive Love Coalition to merge with Search for Common Ground

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Buddhism Went Mainstream Decades Ago. US Churches Still Aren’t Ready.

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • AR-15 lapel pins are more than political provocation — they’re symbols of the violence at the heart of white Christian nationalism

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • US tribes get bison as they seek to restore bond with animal

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Tennessee’s drag ban rehashes old culture war narratives

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • US Hispanic Protestant churches are young, growing and largely new to the country

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pope Francis’ Decade of Division

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • For American Zionist LGBTQ group, Israel’s right-wing government has created an urgent crisis

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Bizarre Tweet About Girls’ Bathrooms Backfires On Oklahoma Education Czar

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • How A Faithful Catholic In Congress Turned Into A Heretic

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Trump vs. DeSantis: Florida pastors mull conservative issues

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Far-right Israeli minister urges loyalty as his US visit draws protests, boycotts and arrests

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • I went to CPAC to take MAGA supporters’ pulse – China and transgender people are among the top ‘demons’ they say are ruining the country

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • With Her Newsworthy ‘Firsts,’ Don’t Ignore Religion Angles In Nikki Haley Vs. Donald Trump

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2023 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS