God's Handwriting

Last week in the prison, I led a discussion focused on Christ the King, in anticipation of the approaching solemnity. As we contemplated the nature of God’s kingdom, I asked the following question: “Jesus said, ‘Behold, the kingdom of God is among you’ (Lk 17:21). How do we know God’s kingdom is among us?” I expected to hear responses such as the presence of justice or peace but was surprised by the very first response of one of the inmates: “Beauty.”

Many of us fail to appreciate God’s presence in the beauty of nature, art, music, and our loved ones because we are surrounded by such beauty all the time. Prisoners, on the other hand, live in a bleak, sterile environment and are separated from their families, which gives them a keen appreciation of any bits of beauty that come their way, such as a few flowers that bloom in the spring, the appearance of a stray cat, and unexpected acts of kindness. The handful of inmates who earn the opportunity to participate in an art class create remarkable drawings, which is not at all surprising, because the hunger for beauty that represents God’s spirit welling in us and among us cannot be contained.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.” And as the inmates reminded me, the message of God’s handwriting is that the kingdom of God is among us.