Palace Beautiful

"This house was built by the Lord of the hill, and he built it for the relief and security of pilgrims" - John Bunyan

I am a lover of Beauty. I guess everyone is, but I am a firm believer that when truth, goodness, and beauty are found together, God is in the midst. I think John Bunyan had the same thought when he wanted to describe the ideal home of the believer, indeed the Church, in Chapter 7 of The Pilgrims Progress. At this point in the famous tale, the allegorical hero, Christian, has been convicted of the coming destruction of his city, found the wicket gate with the help of Evangelist, been to the cross, and seen the One “hang bleeding upon the tree; and the very sight of him made [his] burden fall off.” But Christian has not yet found the family, the Word, or the armor needed to shield him in future battles. He has not yet encountered the Three Graces of Faith: Prudence, Piety, and Charity. What is the name of the home where these three abide? The Palace Beautiful.

If you have been a Christian for a length of time, this will probably bring to mind the passage in 1 Corinthians 13, declaring the three eternal virtues of faith, hope and love. Yes, the very same Three Graces in modern terms! Yet Bunyan’s allegory might also point us to the twenty-seventh Psalm. In verse four, David asserts, “One thing I desire of the Lord, this will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his temple.” Dwell. Gaze. Inquire. Another trinity of words to consider, and the effective actions Christian employs during his stay in the Palace Beautiful.

This humble spot on Substack is my attempt to find a place at the table with Christian and a place at the table with you. I desire to dwell here and discuss matters of faith with Piety, hope with Prudence, love with Charity. I desire to gaze upon the Palace Beautiful and inquire in this temple. Will you join me? As Discernment exclaims to Christian at the gate, “Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; this house was built by the Lord of the hill, on purpose to entertain such pilgrims in.” Let’s build a conversation.