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Dear friends,
What are you in awe of these days? According to Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, the most common source of awe is people. Even more than natural wonders, stories of things like courage, kindness, strength, and overcoming obstacles are what people identify as awesome. He points out that awe can be ordinary.so I tried to think about something ordinary I’ve seen recently that I might call ‘awesome’.
The first thing that came to mind is what happened outside under my office window at St. John’s just after school let out for the day. I took a peak to see what was going on. Two moms where down on their knees talking to their young children, calmly and lovingly, yet firmly. I don’t know what happened, but I know it wasn’t kind or okay. I heard things like, “Do you understand?” and “You need to say you’re sorry to . . . “. They left quietly.
Pretty ordinary, but awesome to see parents who cared enough to move to a quiet, unlikely location to talk with their children about what wasn’t right and a peaceful action to right things.” The whole thing could have gone very differently. It was awesome to see the seed of non-violence being planted in two young children, created by our awesome God to do good and be good.
What have you noticed recently that you now consider awesome? What will you notice tomorrow or next week? I’m hoping to be more aware of awe in the ordinary of my days. I hope you might consider doing the same. It just might bring to mind our awesome God a little more often.
Blessings and peace
Karen+
(If you’re interested, Dacher Keltner’s most recent book is Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.)
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