Driving out to our Las Alitas youth center on the east side of the sprawling city of Juarez, Mexico, one sees empty lots piled with trash, dilapidated buildings, and dirt and debris everywhere. It is gloomy and depressing.
But when you get out of the van and enter through the gates of our center, the whole scene changes. It feels light, bright, clean and beautiful. There is a courtyard with a garden, trees and flowers that the children have planted, a bright green-turfed soccer field and play areas.
Wherever possible, we introduce splashes of beauty so the kids can experience color and vibrancy in their environment that is anything but. In Christian tradition, beauty, goodness, and truth are known as “divine transcendentals,” attributes of God’s being. As we encounter the good, the true, and the beautiful, our hearts can be awakened to see the perfection and character of God, leading us closer to Him.
When the children see and touch some of God’s creation, their eyes light up and they express their delight in what God has made, coming to know their Creator in a deeper way. Maybe it is a small example of what Dostoevsky famously wrote, “Beauty will save the world.”
God bless you!