In an increasingly dark world, the concept of excellence may still be seen in its purest form in the sports arena, where individuals and groups meet in open competition that produces a winner. The Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of achievement, crowning athletes who excel over their peers in challenging sporting contests.
Alas, every other field of human endeavor – art or science or music or literature or the academy itself – is being corrupted by socio-political interests and cultural decline to the point that what may be seen as excellent is merely sensational or politically correct or an appeal to the basest human instincts.
When foul-mouthed hip-hop thugs become role models and empty-headed movie stars are idolized for their opinions, and utterly corrupt political leaders are praised for their small achievements, excellence in the 21st century is measured by the standards of a gloomy swamp that breeds monsters.
Against such a backdrop of human failure the excellence of Jesus Christ brightly shines. He is the central figure in an unchanging Book that sets unchanging standards and exalts unchanging values like truth, honesty, justice, and purity, and loveliness, and beauty, and virtue.
Perhaps the most meaningful thing said about Jesus Christ in the brief record of His life on earth is that “He went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). His good is truly good, and right, and proper, and He is still going about doing good!
I love being a Christian! I love being a part of the family of God. I love participating in its life. I love being awed, year after year, by the excellence of spirit it encourages and achieves; I love it because the Spirit of one who is altogether lovely shines throughout as present, and vital, and real.
The Bible describes Jesus Christ — the Spirit and ground of the beauty of Christianity — as the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys. He is a tree bearing fruit and we are invited to sit down under His shadow with great delight, where His fruit is sweet to our taste.
When He draws near the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in the land. He is a mountain of myrrh, and a hill of frankincense.
He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending. He is the brightness of the glory of God, the express image of His person; He upholds all things by the word of His power, for all things were made by Him, and for Him.
He loves righteousness and hates iniquity. He is the light bringer in a world that does not understand light, a world where men choose darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.
But in the hearts of those who love Him, His light overwhelms the darkness, and we are at peace.