Sunday, February 22, at 10am
Awe and Everyday Wonder
Rev. Jo Murphy, Executive Director, UU Mass Action
“Sometimes as an antidote to fear of death, I eat the stars.”
– Rebecca Elson
In his book “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder,” Dachner Keltner, a psychology scholar, defines “awe” as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” In my experience, “awe” is a concept not often felt by UUs. We greatly value logic, rationality, and critical thinking, which though are important, can sometimes block our ability to experience “awe.” Being less familiar with awe blocks our ability to be open to miracles and wonder, and isn’t this a moment where we could really use a miracle? Where could we learn and expand our imagination through “transcending our current understanding of the world”? Let us explore this and allow ourselves to feel awe, and allow it to lead us to a world much more just and wonder-filled than the one we currently live in.
A recording of the service is available at the link below.