Earlier this week, at our Wednesday service of Holy Eucharist, we celebrated the Feast of Ralph Adams Cram, Richard Upjohn, and John LaFarge. Adams and Cram were architects, and LaFarge was an artist versed in many mediums. You may know that he painted the two murals on either side of Incarnation’s high altar – the manger in Bethlehem and the adoration of the Magi – “in situ” soon after a fire destroyed much of the east end of the church in 1882.
We also have stained glass windows by LaFarge on the south wall of the church. Pick up a guide to the interior of the church or take the online window tour to learn which ones.
It was fun to spend a moment taking in and reflecting on LaFarge’s work during the Wednesday service. Incarnation is so blessed to have such fine art, especially by someone recognized in the liturgical calendar.
The collect (prayer) appointed for LaFarge’s feast day attests to how he “enriched our churches with a sacramental understanding of reality” and thanks God for the “gifts of the beauty of holiness” given through his artistry.
The phrase “beauty of holiness” shows up in the Psalms. While it is highly unlikely that Plato read the Psalms or any Hebrew Scripture, he helps me make sense of this phrase. Plato claimed that we climb a ladder of beauties, a ladder of loves. We start with beholding the physical beauty of a person and then advance up the rungs – including the rung representing beauty in an idea and the rung representing beauty in justice – all the way to the highest rung and ultimate beauty, which is God. The point is that we see beauty, and we follow beauty to God.
Think of a time you have followed beauty to God. For me, this happens when I hold a baby, read an especially moving poem, listen to a favorite piece of classical music, witness a kind deed, take a walk in a beautiful setting. Even the Christmas lights up and down 5th Avenue might lead me to God in thanksgiving and praise.
The beauty in our world, including the beauty of our church, is not faith, but it is preparation for faith. It draws forth awe, reverence, and worship. Wherever you find beauty this Christmas – and hopefully it will be at Incarnation! – may you follow that beauty to the highest, most transcendent beauty of all, and bend the knee of your heart before our newborn King.
Adrian+