May/June 2002
Skin Deep
by Greg Albrecht
| No other physical attribute is deemed so important as what someone or something looks like. |
The face pictured on the television screen was unknown to me, but apparently well known enough to merit the lead story on local Los Angeles television news. She was a model who had been in a car crash that day, and while her life was not in danger, she was still in the hospital. The news reported that she might not ever look the same again. The news anchors were lamenting this tragedy, in a similar way that the death of a prominent personality is reported.
The model had not died, but our media-driven culture seemed to be concluding that she might as well have. I tried changing channels to find out "what was happening in the world" only to find that other local channels were giving major air time to the same event.
There were, of course, many other car crashes that occurred that day around the world, to less attractive individuals. Some of the cars that crashed might have involved influential leaders of governments and industry, professors, doctors, judges, lawyers, priests and ministers. And no doubt some car accidents that day involved fatalities.
What about police men and women and firefighters who had died that day in the course of their duties? What about accidents involving men and women in uniform risking their lives so that we might all live in safety? But no news reports of them. Just the news of a "super model" whose injuries might cause her to lose some of her beauty.
For a few moments I became angry that my culture could be so shallow that such an event was more important and newsworthy than national and international events of that day. But upon reflection, my anger had to give way to sadness, for the news media was simply reporting reality. The reality is simply this: The most highly valued physical attribute in our society is beauty and attractiveness. Beauty is worshiped by our culture and rewarded accordingly. No other physical attribute is deemed so important as what someone or something looks like.
The next morning I read more about the car crash in the newspaper, along with a related story, though it was not identified by editors as such. Three 13-year-old girls had attempted suicide because they had decided they were not attractive. They saw no reason to live, given their conclusion about their physical appearance. Looks really matter in our society. Attractive children often get better grades and assume leadership among their peers. Studies reveal that many working women who either try to roll back the years or change the shape of their bodies by going to plastic surgeons can expect to be rewarded with salary increases. Handsome men find their good looks an important asset in their career.
Three thousand years ago God sent his prophet Samuel to Bethlehem, the little town that was also chosen as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Saul was the king of Israel, but God had determined that a new king was needed.
Saul was "an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites -- a head taller than any of the others" (1 Samuel 9:2). Saul was not only impressive to look at, but he was a courageous leader.
God told Samuel to visit the home of a man named Jesse, and that one of his sons would be the new king of Israel. Seven sons of Jesse appeared before Samuel, but not one of them was God's choice. As the sons paraded before the prophet God told Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
You know the rest of the story. David was the youngest, and in many ways, least impressive of all of Jesse's sons. But God chose David.
The contrasting stories of the two kings, Saul and David, is an object-lesson that physical attributes do not necessarily translate into spiritual virtues. It's comforting to know that there are many ways God is not like us -- and the fact that he "does not look at the things man looks at" is just one of them.
-- Greg Albrecht