Biblical Awe

I first learned the Henry David Thoreau quote, “Most men [and women] lead lives of quiet desperation,” from a sweet 8th grade English teacher. This quote and teaching me how to juggle made a huge difference in my life. She helped young me understand the word “awe.” In a weird way, my ability to juggle, two years later opened a door to awe through acting. Yet, on a deeper level, Thoreau’s quote taught me to look for and appreciate moments of awe when they occasionally appear. From 8th grade forward I intentionally thought of life as something to be created, in search of awe. My teacher helped me realize a life of quiet desperation is a life bereft of awe.

The term “awe” appears throughout the Bible. Interestingly, in the Biblical Greek, the word for “awe” is eusebeia which means “godliness.” For the faithful, awe is an gift from God. According to William Barclay, “Eusebeia is the right attitude to God and to things divine, the attitude which does not eliminate God altogether, and which does not degenerate into futile superstition, the attitude which gives God the place he ought to occupy in life and in thought and in devotion.” When we experience God in fulness, we are open to a fuller experience of awe around us.

I was thinking of different awe-inspired moments in my life. Walking into the Chicago Institute of Art and seeing works of art I had only studied in books. In awe, I thanked God for the talents of others.