Beauty is not the same as vanity

There is something deeply human in wanting beauty around us.

We place flowers on a table even though they will fade. We light candles at dinner although electric light would be more practical. We choose a beautiful cup. We make a bed carefully although we will undo it again that evening.

None of these things is strictly necessary.

And yet they matter.

They are small ways of saying that life deserves our attention.

Clothing can be like that too.

Dressing well does not have to mean dressing formally. Nor does it mean dressing for the admiration of other people.

There is a great difference between dressing to be noticed and dressing because you believe your own life is worthy of care.

At the heart of the Christian faith on which so much of Western civilisation has been built is the belief that every human being is created in the image of God and possesses an inherent worth.

Our worth, therefore, does not depend on whether we have somewhere important to go.

We do not become more worthy because we have been invited to a wedding. And we do not become less worthy because we are spending an ordinary afternoon at home.

Our worth is already given. It does not depend on the importance of the occasion. So perhaps dressing with care can be one small way of honouring what has already been given to us.

Not vanity.

Gratitude.

Not performance.

Care.