I dig Brad Pitt. In my opinion, he’s a phenomenal actor. And from what I’ve learned about him, I think he’s good guy. He’s a cool dude. He’s down to earth. He pranks and can take a prank. He loves his kids (and I would say his wife, but he and Jolie aren’t married. Which hurts his dudeness). He drinks untainted black coffee and even rides a motorcycle (which fits well into my personal definition of “dude”). Nevermind that our culture worships him as a “beautiful” man, and a “cinema god.”
He recently appeared on the cover of W Magazine’s February ‘09 issue. He did the photo shoot on one condition—that artist Chuck Close, known for his super detailed portraits that reveal every skin flaw, do the shots. Pitt would wear no make-up and there would be no airbrushing of the years of wear on his face.
I saw the magazine in the airport. Sure enough you could see lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet, and all. He looked more like his 45 years of age rather than how the magazines and movies usually portray him. And he wanted it that way. Click here to see article.
I must admit that I felt pretty good about myself when I saw that photo. I just wish he was going bald too. Maybe include a slight pooch at the midsection . That would’ve helped my feelings even more. But I’ll take what I can get.
“Beauty and Bodies” are worshiped in our culture. And we just can’t help but compare ourselves. We can always find something wrong with us—too tall, short, chubby, skinny, acne, acne scars, flaky skin, thin lips, thick ankles, mid-section spare tire, hump-shouldered, stretch marks, crooked teeth (or tanned teeth), big feet, hairy back, flat butt, big butt, no butt, uni brow, bushy brows, bad nails, frizzy hair, oily hair, thin hair, flat hair, missing hair, skinny calves, white skin, leather skin, wrinkled face, and on and on and on and on.
(By the way, if you don’t find yourself in any of the above, your day is coming. Just ask Brad Pitt (okay, maybe ask him in another 5 years)).
“All flesh is like grass…it withers away,” says the Psalmist. So why do we do it? Why do we torture ourselves? Agreed that a person can also compare himself or herself in such a way that it makes him or her prideful. But one, I would argue that is not the norm. Two, I’d bet there’s also a lurking insecurity too. Thus the comparison.
Is it cliche’ to say God looks at the heart… the inside of us? After all that is what Scripture says. I know, I know. To point us to this truth is kind of like the friend saying about the guy you haven’t met, “well, he has a great personality.”
But God is “other-than” us. Indeed opposite in his attraction to us. He woos our hearts in Christ. And our hearts woo him. Not our bodies. . Could it be that He joyfully let’s our bodies droop in hope that our hearts would find their value, worth, and joy in Him? Does he allow it to remind us of what He finds beautiful? Self-worth and self-peace are found in the God who dotes over our hearts. As we admire and marvel at the outside without much thought to the inside, God loves us from the inside out.
So today I am thankful for balding head. I’m thankful for my crooked bottom teeth. And I can say with a straight face that I’m thankful I don’t look like Brad Pitt. I’m so grateful that God loves me from the inside out. What a relief. And what joy. God dotes over my heart. And in this moment I dote over His.