So Beautiful... or So What?
This week I was deeply moved by a daily blog written by local Realtor Rob Bergeron. His reflections inspired today's Bobby Pen, and I am grateful for his wisdom, as well as the timeless words of Leo Tolstoy and Paul Simon that he shared. Leo Tolstoy once wrote:
"Rejoice! The purpose of life is joy. Rejoice at the sky, the sun, the stars, the grass, the trees, animals, people... Most often this joy is disturbed by money and ambition."
What a remarkable reminder.
When I first read those words, I noticed something fascinating. Everything Tolstoy tells us to rejoice in is already here. The sunrise doesn't send us an invoice. The stars don't require a membership fee. A child's laughter, a friend's embrace, the shade of a tree, the song of a bird...these gifts have always been available to us.
Yet somehow we convince ourselves that joy is waiting somewhere else.
"If I could just earn a little more..."
"If I could just accomplish one more goal..."
"If life would finally settle down..."
We begin chasing the price of happiness instead of recognizing its value.
Paul Simon captures this beautifully in his song So Beautiful or So What when he writes:
"Ain't it strange the way we're ignorant... mistaking value for the price."
Those words stopped me in my tracks.
How often do we confuse what something costs with what something is truly worth?
As a minister, I've learned that the richest people I know are rarely the ones with the largest bank accounts. They're the ones who notice beauty. They notice kindness. They notice laughter. They notice grace quietly unfolding in ordinary moments.
Unity teaches that the Kingdom of Heaven is not someplace we arrive after we finish accomplishing enough. It is a state of consciousness available right here and right now.
That doesn't mean life is always easy.
There are disappointments. Heartbreaks. Illnesses. Losses. We all know those seasons.
But even in difficult moments, beauty continues to exist alongside the pain. A sunset still colors the sky. Someone still offers a smile. A friend still calls to check in. Love continues finding little ways to remind us that it has never left.
Perhaps the spiritual practice isn't finding more beauty.
Perhaps it's becoming willing to notice the beauty that has been patiently waiting for us all along.
Mr. Bergeron's reflection challenged me with one simple question:
Will I choose "So Beautiful"... or "So What?"
Every single day, we make that choice.
We can look at our lives through the lens of gratitude, or through the lens of scarcity. We can focus on what remains unfinished, or celebrate the countless blessings already surrounding us.
The circumstances may not change overnight. But our awareness can.
This Sunday, Rev. Dr. Gerry Boylan will be sharing a powerful message titled "Freedom Isn't Free." I hope you'll join us as we explore the deeper freedom that comes not only from our nation's history, but from releasing the thoughts, fears, and ambitions that quietly steal our joy.
Until then, may you pause this week to notice the sky... the trees... the people you love... and the quiet miracles woven throughout your ordinary days.
Because perhaps Tolstoy was right.
The purpose of life really is joy.
With love, Rev. Dr. Bobby Kyser
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