How Beautiful -- Twila Paris

Look in the mirror, and ask yourself ‘Am I good-looking?’ Twila Paris might have been asking herself that sort of question during one period of her life, and resolving to say ‘yes’ as she pondered how to manifest her answer practically in everyday living in 1991. One way that we can see her answer is in the words of “How Beautiful” that she wrote and sang that year. Her words, both in the song and those she used to introduce it to listeners in 1994, show that she was impacted by Him, drawn toward Him, and wanted to imitate Him. How does one best do that?

Twila Paris had listened, as she had been for many years, she explained in 1994, a few years after composing “How Beautiful”. She had believed in Him and His purposes for some time, but felt He was showing her something more, about how to go further to reflect Him. As a child, Paris produced music by the time she was seven years old, the result of being with parents whose evangelistic outreach infused her with an experience that would influence the rest of her life. By the time she reached her early 30’s, Twila could have been described as a veteran of two decades of musical accomplishment. What else was there for her to learn as a 32-year old in 1991?  She says His message to her was about unity in the body, about a greater love for each other among believers. How one feels toward relatives, those to whom we typically reserve the term ‘loved ones’, is how we’re to feel toward fellow Christians, she declares. Be unified in serving each other, and the world outside of Christendom too, and so echo His love. She doesn’t share the precise circumstances of her life at that point, but Twila’s message need not be more specific to be true. Every group of Christians have experienced some discord and even division at times – it’s human, so a call for harmony doesn’t require further explanation. Twila emphasizes this message’s divine origin and the human reply in her verses.   

Paris suggests that we look at the Christ-Servant and then do as He did, describing the result with an adjective we don’t normally associate with a male, even if He is God. God is beautiful when we see Him serve, ultimately in death. That’s opposite of what popular culture says, including about gods like Venus (see Boticelli’s masterpiece depiction of her birth here). That’s Twila’s most baffling image – a suffering, bleeding God being beautiful. Perhaps that was part of what she was talking about when she said she’d received a greater understanding of how to show Him to others. He turns ugly into beauty. It only makes sense in the divine calculus, and in those who take Him on. So, don’t worry about the dirt under your fingernails, the scuff marks on your clothes, or the way you might smell after pitching in to serve. Another image that Twila reminds me is true involves me (a male) being His bride. So, I’ll get grimy following His lead, but he weds me anyway. How about that! If you’re still confused, perhaps the key here is seeing that beautiful isn’t the operative word in this song, but how.  Think about the ‘how’ in becoming more like Him.   

The following link is the primary source for the song’s story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ3SrJ-3VSE (Twila Paris’ comments before she sang the song during a 1994 event)

See following sites also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twila_Paris

http://www.twilaparis.com/bio.php