Beautiful Savior

I would like to expand on one of my previous posts, "The Weight of Glory". I mentioned how Nature, while beautiful, is a poor reflection of the glory we will experience in heaven. Immediately when I read this, I thought of the powerful hymn "Beautiful Savior", written by German Jesuits in the seventeenth century. Like all hymns, this one is timeless and means just as much today as it ever did. The second and third verses directly apply to the idea that while nature can point us toward Chirst, Christ will always be infinitely fairer.

Beautiful Savior!
King of creation!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I'd love Thee
Truly I'd serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.

Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flowers of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purur;
He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.

Fair is the sunshine,
Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.

Beautiful Savior!
Lord of the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration,
Now and forevermore be Thine!

This video includes verses two and four, in addition to many pictures of God's beatiful (yet lacking) creation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r2y3v5LxSI