Experiencing awe and wonder in life!

I have been thinking about awe and wonder, so I have become curious and spent some time reflecting on and exploring their meaning and experience in my life.  I found that awe has become an area of interest in the field of psychology and research. Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California at Berkeley, has researched the subject and reported his findings in his recent book, titled Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. He defines awe as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world”. Keltner continues, saying that it is about vastness, but it’s really simple and uncomplicated. To inspire awe does not have to be dramatic to instill a feeling of awe. It comes from what Keltner calls “perceived vastness”. He writes that awe is critical for our well-being and his research suggests that it has big health benefits, such as a calming effect on the nervous system. Awe creates a different response in us than does either joy, happiness or love. For more on this topic: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/well/live/awe-wonder-dacher-keltner.html

The Psalmist in Psalm 33:8 says, “Let all the earth fear the Lord (In my words, “Let all the earth have a healthy reverence and respect for God’s power and creative nature”); let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” 

My own interest and reflections on awe have come with the advent of spring. The hummingbird and her nest with two tiny eggs in the tree on my patio. The super bloom we are experiencing here in California. Nature is awe inspiring for me in all its beauty and grandeur. Its incredible diversity that informs us of the importance of diversity in every aspect of life, our life together as human beings and with all species. More reflection brings more examples. Sunsets, moonrise, the  night sky and its canopy of stars, the ocean and its treasures. Art, music, dance and ways the human body can move. Great thinkers, past and present. Ancient ruins, Stonehenge, the pyramids. Skyscrapers and cathedrals such as Chartres, Notre Dame. There’s so much that can be awe-inspiring! The incredibly good in people, how we help and care for one another, sacrifice and share, endure and find hope in the midst of suffering. I hope this has stimulated your own thinking around what is awe inspiring for you! 

 Take some time to reflect. 

Bring yourself into God’s presence. Give thanks for God’s great love for you. Pray for the grace to see and understand how God is acting in your life, Review your day — recall specific moments and your feelings. Reflect on what you did, said, or thought and felt in all the instances of your day.  How did you experience God during your day especially around awe?Look toward tomorrow — think of how you might collaborate more effectively with Spirit. 

Poet of awe, by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who made the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety.

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