“The King of Love leapt down from heaven to startle us and awaken us from sleep.”
—Maggie Ciskanik MS, MSc
When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator."
—St. Basil the Great
The Wonders of His Love
“He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove, The glories of his righteousness, And wonders of his love.” Joy to the World
In the 2nd Week of Advent, we pondered the role played by awe and curiosity in the adventure of scientific discovery. Now that Christmas is almost upon us, the season in which we proclaim the “wonders of His Love,” it might be fruitful to reflect more deeply on the nature of awe.
As psychologist Dacher Keltner reminds us, awe is an emotion springing within our consciousness when we encounter “mysteries that transcend our understanding of the world.” His research also identified the most common sources of awe across twenty-six cultures, the “eight wonders of life.” These are: “the moral beauty of others, collective movement, nature, visual design, music, spirituality, big ideas, and encountering the beginning and end of life.”
Dr. David Bryce Yaden, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, adds that life-threatening experiences can inspire awe as well. These may include witnessing the power of a storm or other natural disasters. He relates a conversation he had with his father, a firefighter, describing the terrifying beauty of a fire rolling across the ceiling!
How Does Awe Affect Us?
Dr. Yaden and his team developed a scale for measuring awe: the Awe Experience Scale (AWE-S). He cites multiple studies confirming that the experience of awe can focus our attention, expand our perception of time, enhance overall happiness and well-being, and—important to the current state of our world—can decrease aggressive attitudes.
In a study co-authored by Dr. Keltner, these results were confirmed. The researchers tested a hypothesis: “that awe can result in a diminishment of the individual self and its concerns, and increase prosocial behavior.” Their hypothesis was verified in a series of five separate experiments. In a nationally representative sample, it was found that a greater disposition to experience awe was predictive of generosity in an economic game. In four follow-up experiments, the induction of awe increased ethical decision-making, generosity, prosocial helping behaviors, and a decrease in the sense of entitlement.
There is a unique kind of awe experienced by only a few individuals in the history of mankind. It is known as the overview effect. It describes the awe astronauts feel as they look down on the earth from space. This view of the Earth profoundly changes the astronauts' understanding of themselves and their place in the cosmos. As one astronaut poetically expressed it:
Against the backdrop of numerous stars in the Milky Way, the Earth “really looks like a beautiful Oasis in the middle of nothingness, an Oasis against the backdrop of infinity.”
The Wonders of Science
In 2004, physicist and philosopher George F. R. Ellis received the prestigious Templeton Prize. In his acceptance speech, he pointed to the awe-inspiring achievements of science,
We are at a stage in human history when, as we gaze with amazement and appreciation at the incredible progress of science in the last century, we can also start to see clearly some of the limits to what science can achieve.
He then expresses this hope for the future:
The way in which science and religion by and large complement each other is becoming ever clearer, as are the natures of the various points of tension between them, and some possible resolutions of those tensions.
Recognizing the limits of science expands the horizons of our search for the meaning of our existence. The message found in religious traditions clearly provides another avenue of exploration.
Awe and the Birth of the Christ Child
Nature is one of the eight awe-inducing sources, as mentioned above. According to Brett Robinson, “awe exceeds our imaginative capacity while also evoking a sense of fear that borders on the holy.”
Perhaps you have had the experience of standing under a black velvet sky studded with brilliant stars. Imagine now—in that profound silence—the startling appearance of an angel bringing “tidings of great joy” followed by a heavenly host, praising God, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people of goodwill.” (Luke 2:9-14)
They must have been overwhelmed by a sense of awe, of holy fear.
May the holy fear, joy, and wonder of the shepherds fill your heart as you gaze with love on the King of Love lying in a manger.
An Advent Reflection of Love by the Magis Center
“‘Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.’ These are offered according to the law. Then he says, ‘Behold, I come to do your will.’ He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
—Hebrews 10:8-10
What Christ’s coming into the world means for us, concretely, is that the entirety of man’s relationship with God has been reoriented. Love is the new foundation, not simply the law. Christ’s coming does not abolish the law but fulfills it, establishing the law of love as the basis for our relationship with God. His Incarnation is the first step along that transformation that will be perfected by His sacrifice at Calvary and His resurrection. Our salvation depends then not on the perfect following of the law, which is impossible for humans, but on the emulation of Christ’s salvific love, which is possible through the grace of God. At the core of Christmas is love, an unconditional love that brings peace, hope, and joy. May the love of Christ be in your hearts this Christmas season.
Continue to Discover the Wonders of His Love
As we reflect on the awe-inspiring love of Christ this Advent, let’s embrace the harmony between faith and reason that illuminates our lives. Love is not just a feeling—it’s the truth that calls us to seek understanding, defend our faith, and share hope with others.
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Let the light of His love guide you this Advent and beyond.
