Our world values beauty over plainness. It always has, and it always will. It is no secret that physical attractiveness will open some doors much more quickly than they do for someone who lacks our current definition of attractiveness. As one who hits the middle of the average scale, it has been annoying, at times, to see someone who is less committed to a task than I get first shot at an opportunity because of better looks. But to the one who is truly homely, or even ugly according to our standards, the whole situation must look completely unfair and demoralizing.
In scanning a book I will read sometime later, I came across an old Jewish parable about "The Rabbi and the Exceedingly Ugly Man". In the story, a rabbi was in a good mood as he was on his way home from the synagogue. He chanced to meet a man who was exceedingly ugly. The rabbi questioned the man rudely about his ugliness. The ugly man replied, "I do not know, but go and tell the craftsman who made me, 'How ugly is the vessel which you have made.'" The rabbi was immediately repentant and prostrated himself before the man and asked his forgiveness.
The rabbi, just like we who are average or above in looks, possessions, education, status, etc. understood the concept of being created in the image of God lightly, as though it was of small consequence. The ugly man, however, grasped the importance of that knowledge because the added difficulty of physical ugliness caused him to hold to his creator very tightly. He realized that in doing so others might see the resemblence between him and his creator.
I sin when I make fun of others simply because birth gave us different appearances. We are all made in the image of God. In that way, we are all equally God looking.
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