How an Unusual Building in Lisbon Helped me see Inner Beauty in a New Way
I was in Lisbon, Portugal with a friend this past fall on a quick trip to a brand new city representing uncharted territory for me. We took a walking tour through the city, which is one of my favorite things to do while traveling, and our tour guide took us to the most intriguing church, the Igreja de São Roque.
As we walked up to the church, I honestly had no idea it was a church. The outside of the building definitely didn’t look super church-y, if you know what I mean. No steeple, none of the fancy architecture seen on many old religious buildings in Europe, no beautiful stained glass windows. It was just the ultimate plain-Jane building.
But once I stepped inside, a whole new world was unveiled. Everywhere I looked–beauty! Beautifully painted walls and ceilings, a stunning, ornate nave up in the front, and eight different “side chapels” lining the two long walls of the sanctuary, each unique and golden. Literally. There was even gorgeous choral music echoing softly throughout the acoustically vibrant space.
As I walked through the church, still taken aback by the dramatic contrast between the plain, unassuming outside of the building and the incredible, breathtaking inside, I started thinking about how that could represent me as a Christian. On the outside, there’s nothing special or noticeable about me. I’m just a regular person with a plain exterior–ideally working toward humility and meekness! But on the inside, when Jesus dwells in me, my heart is like the hidden jewel that was the inside of the Igreja de São Roque. The Holy Spirit takes up residence when He’s invited in, and there’s nothing plain or normal about that. He makes my heart into a place of indescribable beauty!
Jesus was the ultimate example of this. Isaiah 53:2 says, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” While the pharisees proudly displayed their outward adornments and sought out seats and titles of honor (Matthew 23:5-7), Jesus quietly knelt to wash His disciples’ dirty feet, shared meals with the worst of sinners, and stood quietly in the midst of a trial that sentenced Him to death by crucifixion.
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. –1 Peter 3:3-4
I want my inner being to display Christ’s glorious riches! Then, just like when I stepped into that Lisbon church building and was amazed by its hidden magnificence, when I’m in fellowship with others, the fullness of God will spill out from my insides, drawing us into closer encounters with the God of all things beautiful. Do you long for the same? Your first step is to ask the Holy Spirit to come in and take over your heart. When He does, I may remain simple and plain on the outside–with my hair in the exact same bun on top of my head that it’s been in for the past 10 years–but my inside will be truly resplendent with the majesty of Christ.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. -Ephesians 3:16-17a