Behold!

 He will not know what all but he do know!

We love saying this phrase around here. It’s fun to say fast and with a hint of despair. Try it. He will not know what all but he do know! It’s Helena  (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) wondering and whining why Demetrius–the apple of her lovesick eye– does not love her back, but instead chases Hermia. And what is so special about Hermia anyway? 

Through Athens I am thought as fair as she

But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so 

He will not know what all but he do know! 

Every decade or so we take Shakespeare seriously. I did this with Ethan and Liam nine years ago and now it’s my second family’s turn. We memorize some of the best passages from his best plays and talk about what makes them so best. It’s Shakespeare Summer School. The kids complain. But they like it more than they let on. No we don’t! Yes they do. I can almost see the little dopamine spike when they successfully recite a passage from memory. And while it doesn’t compare to the dopamine of cookies, say, it doesn’t need to because I also provide cookies. This is not bribery. I’m merely following Pavlov, who says I should condition my children to salivate equally over Will’s words and cookies, as they are equally delicious.

But I’ve gotten off track, as this isn’t my point. My point is love and beauty, as it so often is in my posts. One trick pony.

. 

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun! 

Arise fair Sun and kill the envious moon, 

who is already sick and pale with grief. 

That thou, her maid (Juliet) art far more fair than she. 

All of this Juliet adulation got Phoebe wondering. “Mom, how pretty is she??” If even the moon is sickly and pale in comparison, what must Juliet look like? Sure, she’s no wart-covered ogre, but when I suggested it’s possible Juliet is only slightly above average, that maybe even Rosaline, Romeo’s beloved 5 minutes ago might even be prettier, Phoebe was scandalized at my bordering blasphemy. Also Juliet was like thirteen. Have you seen 13-year olds? Sure, they can be beautiful in a fledgling, got potential kind of way...but glorious as the sun is a bit of a reach.

This whole Eye of the Beholder idea is news to Phoebe. When I further suggested Romeo’s love (mayhaps lust) made him believe she was the most beautiful girl in the room, not even depending on the room,♫ she shook her head skeptically. So I used Shakespeare to teach Shakespeare. Remember how Helena was just as pretty as Hermia? Everyone knew it! and yet Demetrius would not, could not see it! He will not know what all but he do know! Do you have it memorized yet? Do you need a cookie?

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,

And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there is no objective beholder. Or in an ouchier proverb, One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Romeo is swayed by his own thoughts and perceptions, so we can never really tell how beautiful Juliet actually is because Romeo is not objective. We can trust no one.

But then I remembered there is one Beholder we can trust. Hard to forget when He’s always saying “Behold!” in that wordy Bio of His. He beholds everything! From Above.. and below, every angle, inside and out. He really sees. Which is what “behold,” means. Not just to see, but to see. To really get it. Look deep, and in, and through, which of course is where real beauty lies. It’s like he wants us to find and be that real beauty. And maybe why he tells us to behold around every corner. I like the scripture verse from John Mayer 10:19:

If you're pretty, you're pretty; but the only way to be beautiful is to be loving. Otherwise, it's just “congratulations about your face.”

Which is just a retelling of Proverbs 31. The only real beauty is through virtue, i.e. noble character, excellence, integrity, and the hard work of practical love. “Prettiness is fleeting but a woman who fears the lord is to be praised.” And if you’ve ever felt that Congratulations you know it’s a lot more meaningful than inheriting good cheekbones. 

But how to be virtuous? Just do it? It’s not always

so natural. Paul says more beholding is the answer.

When we behold Him, we become like him:

"But we all with open faces beholding (contemplating, really seeing) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory..."

You are what you eat and you become what you behold. And Jesus is all those things we want to become: patient, compassionate, peaceful, self-assured. Romeo beheld his sun, Juliet, and I guess did become more like her...😬💀, but if you behold the real Sun/Son, I suppose yes death first too, but then you’ll glow brighter and brighter until all of your good thoughts..

“shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” (Roald)