Pastor's Pen: Wonder & Love Unleashed

“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” - Psalm 34:3

Perhaps you have encountered it while hiking in the mountains. Maybe you felt it while listening to a great piece of music. Perhaps it happened at the birth of your children. Maybe it happened during a worship service. No matter where it has occurred, most human beings have experienced awe and wonder. We know deep down that there is a reality greater than the everyday.

That experience is the inspiration for art. It serves as the poet’s muse. For Aristotle, wonder was the beginning of philosophy. Even religion has its source in that encounter.

Rabbi Abraham Heschel once noted, “Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement.” He further stated, “Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.”

However, capturing the divine in art, poetry, philosophy, or even religion is elusive. Our humanity limits us. Our minds are too small. Our efforts are too timid. Our moral failings are too great. History is filled with examples of how we impose hell on Earth while reaching for heaven. Wonder can take us only so far. God needs to reach down to us.

Instead of capturing God, God reveals himself to us. In humility, he walked among us. He bridged the gap with his sacrifice. Jesus taught the crowds, healed the sick, welcomed the children, and gave himself completely for our sake. Where wonder starts the journey, love completes it.

This new year, I pray for our congregation and you to experience the wonder and love of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Like the familiar song, “We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives. It's time for us to more than just survive. We were made to thrive.”

Grace & Peace,

James Hodsden