From the inside out

Wouldn't you agree with me that we live in a culture that idolizes physical appearance?

Instead of the inside out, we judge people from the outside in.

Plastic surgery is becoming a norm. Billions are spent in American each year on cosmetics.

In order to look better, it is not surprising that many people are willing to sacrifice a great deal in order to look better.

They are willing to give of their time, money - and endure a tremendous amount of physical pain.

I mean, don't get me wrong. We have a responsibility to take care of our bodies. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit as Paul writes in Corinthians.

But what is truly important in life is my character, my personality, my ability to get along with people, my ability to have a relationship with God.

I found a story today of a woman named Solange Magano.

Solange was crowned Miss Argentina in 1994, and carried that exposure into a successful modeling career. She maintained both her career and physique for more than a decade, but by 2009 both were showing signs of age.

According to Roberto Piazza, a longtime friend, she became obsessed with regaining a youthful body.

In November of 2009, Solange travelled to Buenos Aires to undergo a gluteoplasty—on operation that uses implants to reduce cellulite and produce a firmer bottom.

Solange suffered a pulmonary embolism during the routine procedure and was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors were unable to save her life. She was 38-years-old, and she left behind a husband and twin 8-year-old boys.

"Solange was a girl who had everything," Roberto Piazza lamented. "She lived the life of a goddess; she was the envy of everybody. Now she is dead because she wanted a slightly firmer behind. She died because of her obsession with beauty."

Mr. Piazza's words sum up more than the tragedy of one woman's obsession with her body. They serve as a fitting epitaph for a culture that idolizes men and women like Solange Magnano, consumes them, and ultimately destroys them.

I would suggest that we be more concerned with what's taking place from the "inside out" than from the "outside in".....and maybe we will live longer.