The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
The meaning of awe is to realize that life takes place under wide horizons, horizons that range beyond the span of an individual life or even the life of a nation, a generation, or an era. Awe enables us to perceive in the world intimations of the divine, to sense in small things the beginning of infinite significance, to sense the ultimate in the common and the simple; to feel in the rush of the passing the stillness of the eternal.
Each moment of this day we have the opportunity to step beyond the limits of how we see the world, evaluate what the world presents to us, and move into a new place with new impressions. Many try not to be surprised by the events and happenings of the day. To do that we must be very contained and must contain what is around us and how we allow ourselves to see the world. “Awe enables us to perceive in the world intimations of the divine.” Heschel’s comment disregards our attempts to contain what we see and what we experience…for the divine cannot be contained. The divine will always open us up to that which we cannot contain for it is both what we know and that which we do not know or have not experienced…yet. To be caught up in the “wide horizons” under which life sits is to be like a child who is beginning to walk. After that first step, watch out…the child then leans forward head and heart before feet and off s/he goes until there is a crash, a fall to the floor or a parent sweeps in to grab hold of the child.
Connection: May your day be awe-filled. May you begin to catch a glimmer of the wide horizon of God’s Reign that is beyond us and awaiting us.
Creator and Renewing Spirit, stretch us and hold us…pull us and guide us…send us and walk with us. Take us farther than we would let ourselves go if all things were left up to our decision. Open up our hearts that we might take baby steps within the wide and gracious expanse of your Reign. Amen
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