Is Jesus Ugly?

"It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness."

Leo Tolstoy

I was listening to NPR this week and I stumbled upon an interesting conversation concerning the possibility that scientists may have found a potential genetic cure for Down's Syndrome. What surprised me wasn't the medical breakthrough but the reaction from some Down's Syndrome suffers and their families. There was a concern that some suffers would wish to retain their Down's Syndrome condition because it was part of what made them uniquely them. Being part of the Down's Syndrome community was part of their personal meta-narrative. This unexpected interview dovetailed perfectly with a debate I had just listened to on Intelligence Squared about the benefits and risks of genetic modification.

What is beautiful? What is desirable?


12 years ago I first heard a recital of "The Donkey Prince" which is a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It resonated so deeply with my own story of searching for a place where I could truly be myself.

http://www.netplaces.com/fairy-tales/princesses-and-princes/the-donkey.htm 

The whole story is found at the link above.

The Donkey in Grimms' story finally sheds his cover as a gifted oddity to become one of the more traditional "beautiful" people. When that beauty is revealed his leadership potential suddenly becomes more trustworthy, acceptable and credible to the general public. I usually see this fairy tale as a story about self-actualization and self-acceptance, but in light of the recent conversations I've listened to, I was challenged to wonder if a talented oddity could ever find as much acceptance as the charming prince?

My concern is that we think goodness is beautiful and beautiful is good.

But goodness can be incredibly ugly; goodness can be an oddity, goodness can be indescribable or indiscernible. Goodness often transforms itself even as we try to comprehend it's current form. Goodness rarely feels comfortable, it provokes discordance within the me, while demanding nothing from me, not even my attention or approval. Goodness is utterly self-reliant yet totally other-focused. In my short 42 years on this planet Goodness rarely came wrapped in a connected and orderly system, with a harmonious system of parts. Goodness normally came wrapped in enigma, espousing conter-cultural ideals of selflessness and other-focusness.

For me as a Christian the incarnation of Goodness is Jesus Christ. For me He inspires images of darkness, of brokenness, and of ugliness. The one Being in the "Heavenly revelation" account that is marred is Jesus. The one Being who remains in my life as indescribably ugly is the one who is also indescribably good. For me Jesus is the epitome of ugly. Almost everything about Him is discordant with my human ideals of harmonious beauty.

My Jesus is often ugly, and yet I'm attracted to a Deity who simply didn't need to appear attractive to me, for me to find that Deity Good enough to worship.

How do you react to my admission that my God is ugly? Can a deity be ugly and still be goodness incarnate?