Sunday, February 28, 2021

Awe Moments

Last week, NASA landed the Perseverance rover on Mars. 

This week, the rover sent back audio of Martian wind and high-definition, color images that have been stitched together to form a 360-degree panorama of the planet's surface. 

I am in awe. 

"There is no true science which does not emanate from the mysterious. Every thinking person must be filled with wonder and awe just by looking up at the stars." ~Albert Einstein

Awe strikes us with a mixture of amazement and fear. It changes our perspective allowing us to see things in a completely new light. 

It is awe that Peter likely feels standing on a mountain watching Jesus transfigured. In dazzling light, Peter glimpses for a moment his friend and teacher as Son of God. (Mark 9:2–8)

We are humbled by awe, recognizing our smallness within a vast universe. The feeling can hit while standing on a mountaintop or noticing the vivid orange and pink of a sunset. It may sweep through you with the sound of waves crashing or strike in the perfect pitch of a soprano's voice. You may be mesmerized by the delicate wings of bird in flight or get lost in the brushstrokes of painting. 

Awe moments are God moments. 

It's fitting that a new area of science is being devoted to the study of awe. What a perfect and necessary topic to investigate as we humans become increasingly assured that we hold the world in our hands.

Look for opportunities to explore feelings of awe. Don't lose sight of the magnificence around you. Be open to seeing something in a new and dazzling light. 

Your God moment awaits.

"True transformation demands that we shed ourselves as the central reference point." Richard Rohr

For more reading on the science of awe, check out these articles:

Eight Reasons Why Awe Makes Your Life Better

How the Science of Awe Shaped Pixar's "Soul" 

No comments:

Post a Comment