Author and psychologist Dacher Keltner says that practicing awe can save our lives. But isn’t awe something that happens spontaneously? How do you hack awe?
Keltner, citing studies from around the world, came up with what he calls the eight wonders of life, vectors that reliably generate awe. Some are easy to guess: nature, music. But the one that came up most frequently is perhaps the least guessable: wonders.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. – Acts 2:43 (NRSV)
Well, duh, you might be saying. But hasn’t the age of miracles passed?
It depends on how you define “wonders.” In those global studies, the most-cited wonder of life was moral beauty: acts of generosity or courage undertaken by others that we witness, open-mouthed.
When my church ran a capital campaign to rebuild after a devastating fire, the first person to offer a giving testimony was Becky, recently diagnosed with cancer. In a prerecorded video from the Mayo Clinic, she told us:
“In my life there are a lot of unknowns, but there also are some knowns. We know this building will help our congregation, and community, and people who haven’t even been born yet. … I worry I’ll need that money for retirement or medical bills. But I also know that money does more good when it’s shared with others than when we clutch it and hold tight to it.
“At the end of my life I want to believe that I was not a pew warmer. I was someone who stepped up and did as much as I could for the church. The church is more than a building. It’s a place where we honor, respect, and amplify what I still think is the greatest message ever, the message of Jesus.”
One after another, other saints stood up and shared. We met our goal, and then some.
Prayer ~ God, you are still working wonders. Amen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rev. Molly Baskette is the lead pastor of First Church Berkeley UCC and the author of books about church renewal, parenting, spiritual growth and more. Sign up for her author newsletter or get information about her newest book at mollybaskette.com