Jan. 8, 2026, Gus Kussman
Lauterbrunnen, Swizterland

If I was to broadly categorize the experiences of beauty I have had in my life, there would probably be two groups. The first would be a “loud” beauty. A beauty that I think most people would see right off the bat. This beauty takes your breath away and leaves you in awe. The second group would be a “quiet” beauty. This beauty takes time to sink in. It may require a deeper contemplation or appreciation. Maybe you don’t notice it right away, but it’s there just the same as the other. 

Of the experiences of “loud” beauty in my life, I think my favorite would have to be on a short trip I took to Switzerland a couple of summers ago. I went with my good friend Gabriel one weekend while we were studying abroad. We planned specifically to go to a valley in Switzerland called Lauterbrunnen which is found in the Swiss Alps. As we entered Lauterbrunnen, I had never experienced anything like it. We entered the valley by train and mountains on both sides slowly took shape and created magnificent walls. There were countless waterfalls spewing water down the cliffs as we moved by. Once we arrived, we had one thing on our to-do list. A via ferrata. For context, this is a climbing/hiking path with a metal cable that runs along it. As you travel the path, you wear a harness and stay clipped onto the cable. I don’t think I have ever experienced anything as exhilarating. There were certain sections of the via ferrata with a drop of up to 2,000 feet. I will never forget climbing on the side of the mountain with nothing below us but air, my hands gripping as tightly as I could to the cable, and looking around at the snow capped mountains. To experience the beauty of creation in this manner was awe inspiring. The massive size of the humble mountains in comparison to us, the feeling of the breeze hitting our faces, and the accelerated heartbeat from the unbelievable heights were all reminders that we were alive. They called attention to the fact that it’s so good to be alive; it is so good to live, and the very God who created the beauty we encounter is the same God who willed our very existence.

As for “quiet” beauty I’ve experienced, there have been many. I think this beauty is often hidden in everyday life. Something recently that really stuck out to me was during a 6:00 a.m. Rorate Caeli Mass. Of course, there was the beauty of the Mass itself, but I also found a profound beauty in the candles that illumined the dark church. Not simply in the warm glow, but also in the very nature of the candle. In a way, the candle seems to mirror the call of the Christian. Just as we are called, as Christians, to live a life of self-gift, the candle gives all of itself in the pursuit of its purpose. I think what draws me to the beautiful is quite in line with St. John Paul II’s idea that beauty inspires the human person. It moves us. Whether loud or quiet, beauty has a way of lifting up the human person. In fact, it’s distinctly human to see beauty and to appreciate it. In it we find truth. We find the workings of an all loving God who Himself is the very essence of Love. In my eyes, to see the beautiful is to live.