Delight Needs to be Taught

As part of my definition for aesthetic you will see the term delight as part of a required response  So if you are observing a painting or reading a book, for the experience to be considered an "aesthetic experience", it needs to invoke delight in the observer.  Now, some philosophers say that the observer must have acquired a sense of "taste."  Indeed much has been written about developing an artistic taste.  I think there is some merit to the idea.  So this post is about developing the Christian's Aesthetic taste.   If the Christian Aesthetic is rooted in the Beautiful (part of the nature of God himself), then to develop the Christian Aesthetic means we need to recognize Beauty when we see it.  Plus, we need to practice delighting in those things that are beautiful.   A child imitates their parent...
If a child sees the parent delighting in the Beautiful, then the child will too.  The easiest way to practice delighting in the Beautiful is to delight in nature on a daily basis.  You see your cat every day, but do you take time to tell your cat that he/she is beautiful?  Do you touch the variations of spots on their paws, do you count their stripes, do you notice the expanse of colors on his coat?  Do animals understand language?  That would be a resounding yes.  Here is the gospel according to Ann -- in my Bible class we say, "I'm making this up" so here goes--The two universal phrases no matter what language you speak that all animals understand are "You are beautiful" and "I love you."  You can test this theory on every creature of God you meet (Well, maybe not the alligator or bear if you chance to meet them in the open :)). Watch how they respond.  They have direct communication with God, because He knows every bird and every nest that is built. Animals love the Lord and understand love because they are part of His Creation.  They have no need for faith because they know their maker and hear him.  Let us help our children to delight by delighting in the creation around us each day and EXPRESS our delight using words around the children.