“Your right hand and your arm and the light of your face (saved them).”  Psalm 44:3

“The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.” Aaron’s blessing recorded in Numbers 6:24ff

“With age and memory, the face gradually mirrors the journey of the soul. The older the face, the richer its mirroring.” John O’Donohue

Did you ever consider how hard we work not only to be, but to look like someone different?  Despite the truth that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together in our mother’s wombs, with a divine beauty from birth, we spend a good portion of time and energy attempting to appear to be something different.

Halloween is not merely a holiday for children, it is a daily reality for many, if not most adults living in Western Culture.  For we try SO hard to alter our appearances so as to look younger, or more attractive, or appealing to others.  I did a quick check on facelift operations in this country.  Between 2017 and 2023 there was a 60% increase in the procedures.  Most of them were performed on females who were over 55 years of age.  Why is that, do you think?  I’ll let you draw your own conclusions, but it appears that in a society that worships youth, many women (and men too?) are averse or maybe even afraid of looking old.

How refreshing to read O’Donohue and the distinction he makes between surface facial appearance, and the facial reflection of the soul.   “Behind each human face is a hidden world which no one can see. In a sense, the face is where the human soul becomes obliquely visible. Yet the soul remains fugitive because the face cannot express directly everything we intuit and feel.  Nevertheless, with age and memory the face gradually mirrors the journey of the soul.  The older the face, the richer its meaning.”[2]

In his book “Beauty”, O’Donohue makes a sharp distinction between glamour and beauty.  Glamour is all about appearances. It is surface-level and superficial. It comes and goes, and can change depending on what has been done to “dress up” one’s appearance, and the perspective of the critical “other.”  Glamour is external, fickle, passing, and holds no true meaning.  Beauty, on the other hand, runs deep.  As deep as the inner depths of the soul.  Beauty is instilled by seeking a spiritual facelift in which the brilliant face of God shines upon us.  A beauty that is reflected not in a mirror but in the radiant face of God.

The beauty of the soul can and should be nurtured with that which reaches deep within. That which “decorates” the soul, if you will.  Only The Spirit can reach a person’s spirit.  The accoutrements of The Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, mercy, and generosity.  Where does one find such treasures?  How does one “apply” such decorative art?  And most importantly, how much time and effort does one put into “putting on” this divine appearance?

I would invite you to look at your face and try to see not the glamour that is valued by our culture, but the beauty that is cultivated by God.  Look and see what beautiful depths of the divine, hidden in your soul, are evident in your outward appearance.  And take time to look at the faces of others.  When you see faces that reflect hurt, heartache, and hopelessness, reach out to that person with the beauty of God that dwells within you.

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[1] I realize I wrote about this same topic a few weeks ago.  However, four things contributed to this theme again catching my attention:  the Psalm quoted above, a story by Oliver Sacks that described a man who couldn’t recognize faces,  the hollow face illusion which you can read about here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow-Face_illusion, and the faux faces and get-ups on display at the grammy’s, giving some an almost clownish appearance.  All of this compelled me to revisit this theme.

[2] “Anam Cara” by John O’Donohue.  P. 82-83