“Faith, while showing us things as they are, changes their ugliness into beauty…” (Jean Pierre de Caussade)
This morning, I found my prayer space on the veranda of my house which was adorned with a variety of potted plants. Beneath each plant, I placed a few grains of rice. As the sun rises, tiny birds gather to enjoy these grains, and a lively competition unfolds among them for the limited food. Sometimes, a few small squabbles or fights break out.
Seeing this with faith in my heart, I appreciate the wonder of God’s creation in their natural act of seeking food for survival. I sit peacefully with this scene, using my faith to look beyond the birds’ rivalry and conflicts, and instead notice a deeper, hidden beauty beneath the surface of human struggles—like genocide, xenophobia, racism, prejudices, or violence.
I believe faith is like a special imaging tool—like an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI—that helps us look beneath the surface of creation to discover its true essence, where true beauty resides. While external signs of nature can seem violent—such as volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, or destructive forces—or appear through human actions like violence and harmful acts, there is a profound beauty at the core of everything. This beauty comes into view when we look beyond superficial appearances. Faith is a divine gift that guides us to see the true essence of God’s creation.
Beloved Reflections 