On beauty. God doesn't leave us in our darkness, our failure, our ruins, our ugliness. Confessions of needing Him as Lord and Savior changes us to something else. Our darkness becomes light and we become a part of that light. Our failures become something that is used for His success. Our ruins become glorious as we call on Him. Our ugliness becomes something beautiful.
Physically beautiful people, beautiful things these are candy for the eyes. These people and things have their place and they bring momentary pleasure. Christ's beauty is not a momentary pleasure.
Christ's beauty is to face our own ugliness, our sin, and redeem it. As we face our ugliness, Christ faces us with other uglies. Injustice is all around us. As we learn to face the ugliness of injustice, we learn to see as Christ sees. We must look more deeply at something that by the world's standards is ugly and slowly discover that it is gem. We see beauty as we learn service to others. Beauty is found in the giving to others.
Christ teaches us sacrificial love. He sacrificed himself for us. What defines beauty? The nails on the cross defines beauty. The broken ways of Christ define beauty.

John 3:16