Not the Good, but the Beautiful Thing

James K. A. Smith says doing the good thing is doing the beautiful thing.

I hit a wall when I ask myself, what is the good thing I should be doing better, because I feel like most things I do in my life are pretty good. I don’t like beat children or scam people for their money. It’s hard to really think of anything I should stop or start doing. After I come out of most sermons I don’t really know anything to change, but I feel like I should somehow be doing something better.

But after reading James K.A. Smith I paused asking what good thing I should be doing, and instead I asked myself, “what beautiful thing could I be doing?”

And then I started thinking of all sorts of inspiring things that would be the stuff of beautiful stories. Like throwing an extravagant party for a homeless friend’s birthday, or inviting my neighbors over for a wonderful dinner. Or like giving $50 to a single mom that seems to he struggling. Stuff like that.

Then I see a lot of very good things I could be doing, and this type of good is exciting and compelling and I want to do it, because it’s just so beautiful.

Raw Spoon, 12-5-18