It’s been four years since I was struck with beauty while passing by a television airing the winter Olympics, and showing a male and female figure-skating competition.
The moment left me breathless and inspired. I had to write about what I was thinking, and what those fleeting visuals had taught me about God’s beautiful vision for our world.
I composed my piece, hit submit, and that was the last of it for several years. The only comment at the time came from my sweet and faithful friend Vicky of Westra World.
But recently, I was reading a Facebook thread expounding on the beauty of male-female figure-skating.
The initiator, Joseph Sciambra, is a faithful Catholic who has laid down his life to reach out to gay men and tell them about Jesus Christ and his saving grace.
Joseph knows all about the gay lifestyle, its deceits, lies and hazards. He’s lived it himself, and deeply. I’ve learned so much from reading his observations, and admire so much his courage. He is David going against the Goliath of the Culture of Death. If you have a chance, check out his website. It can be graphic – he doesn’t hold much back – but reveals what he does to be an authentic witness, and out of his great desire to bring others into the light, like he experienced. His is a beautiful story of conversion, marked with a fair amount of anguish along the way, and redemption at its end.
I enjoyed Joseph’s musings on the same topic that had mesmerized me four years back:
Reading his words and people’s reactions inspired me to dig up my old post from 2014 and share it in the thread.
It didn’t seem to get much notice. There were no visible “likes.” But that was fine; I just wanted to share how I’d been struck with beauty as Joseph had, and hoped it might encourage or inspire someone in some quiet way.
Then, at the closing of the next day, Feb. 16, I received a notification via a pingback on my blog, revealing that my blog post had been shared — not four years ago but recently — somewhere in cyberspace. I followed links to find the originating source, discovering both Joseph and myself being quoted on the conservative, pro-life website, “LifeSite News.”
It was an exciting discovery, at the midnight hour, not just because a national publication had picked up my words, but because of what they reveal. Realizing that more would be exposed to the insight that came to me that quiet night four years back brought me joy (6.5 thousand have read it at the time of this posting). It’s been fun, too, hearing from friends who discovered the piece on their own, and were surprised to find my words tucked within.
I’m happy to share with others how good, beauty and truth can bring us to our knees in awe, and orient us toward the God who created this big world and filled it with people — us among them — all because of love. I’m grateful to remind many of the exquisiteness of the pairing of man and woman, bringing us all back to Genesis 5:2: “Male and female, he created them…” And if my little excerpt in a national publication can draw others to this amazing reality, then my joy triples — even triple-axles.
I also have the honor of pointing to Joseph’s important ministry and story, as well as my friend Vicky’s faith-filled journey through cancer (also very inspirational).
Three indeed for the win!
Q4U: When has God struck you with a supernatural truth through the observance of the natural?
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