WE'RE BACK!
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.
It is not the sublime as such of which the Biblical (person) is aware. To (this one), the sublime is but a way in which things react to the presence of God. It is never an ultimate aspect of reality, a quality meaningful in itself. It stands for something greater; it stands in relation to something beyond itself that the eye can never see. The sublime is not simply there. It is not a thing, a quality, but rather a happening, an act of God, a marvel. Thus even a mountain is not regarded as a thing. What seems to be stone is a drama; what seems to be natural is wondrous. There are no sublime facts; there are only divine acts.
"It stands for something greater." The question we must all ask of ourselves is whether or not we are able to see the "something greater" in the matter of fact things of our day? I remember a science teacher in seventh grade who told us he once became completely overwhelmed by the simple beating of his heart. When I think back at him, he was one of the coaches who seemed to eat and breath sports. But he was also a person who was amazed by simple often unnoticed bodily action. The beats took him beyond the moment into the running of the heart again...again...again...without thought...despite thoughts. He was a science teacher and not a theologian but...he started talking about what must make such things as our hearts...keep going...a muscle that does not tire like chest and arm muscles while doing push ups...it keeps going. I can only say that he helped me contemplate more than what is...to look again and look beyond. There is an unlimited way in which our God tickles us and woos us and bid us to come and see more than we could ever imagine.
Connection: What will be the drama that comes into play in your day today? What little or big "thing" will make you see what the eye cannot? It doesn't take long to begin the journey.
Lord God of the Great and Small, how wonderful it is when we are grasped by your blessed grace and begin to have our lives expand and grow from what is into what might be....and then...again. Be with us in our ongoing adventures that we may learn to see all things - again. Amen.
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