“In wonder all philosophy began: in wonder it ends….But the first wonder is the offspring of ignorance; the last is the parent of adoration.” – Plato
Wonder is the fuel to keep living life. You know what would happen if you starved your car of fuel. Imagine starving your children of the fuel of life: wonder?
This one might be harder for some of us parents to wrap our heads around. It’s because many of us have lost the wonder ourselves. “I have too many adult problems to deal with to worry about things like ‘wonder'”. I get it. But it’s not just fuel for kids. It’s fuel for adults too; for you.
One my favorite memories of my 1st child was when she would look up into the night sky, point and say “mooooon”. My other kids never had the same fascination with the moon as her. Everytime the moon was in the sky, no matter how big or small, she point and stare. (The only point and stare our kids are allowed to do in public.) Seeing her eyes widen made my heart widen. I would look up and I started to be mesmorized by it too.
Most of us used to wonder about so many things before google and science gave us answers the press of a button. No, I’m not saying science is bad. Science is incredible, but instead of science simply informing us, it has snuffed us of wonder. We think because we sorta know that the brain controls my fingers typing this blog that there really isn’t anything else to explore there. Because we know the how of something, doesn’t mean we know the “why”.
Andrew Huberman, a neurobiologist, shared how he is just in awe and wonder at the human brain. The more he learns about the brain and human biology in general, the more in awe he is. What’s even better is that he believes in a creator God. I don’t know if he calls himself Christian, but that’s not the point. St. Paul talks about the gentiles who should have come to a certain knowledge about God through creation, and at the very least, that’s where Dr. Huberman is. In contrast, he has collegues that are Atheist and are in the same field as him.
I wondered what the implications of someone who approaches science with belief in God vs. one without? It’s clear to me that if you’re open to be a belief in a creator God, then the work of research is more and more humbling. You’re led to submit to the majesty and beauty of what’s in front of you. But if you’re persistent God doesn’t exist, then all of these functions of the human person are just products of random mutation. If this is true, then you can control, manipulate, hack and slash at will.
I believe wonder keeps the eyes of our hearts open to the beauty and majesty of God’s creation. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”. What makes us impure? Our selfish wants and false needs.
Recover that sense of wonder in God and His creation that you had as a child and start wondering along with them. This is a sure way to lead them to the Lord who is ever ancient, ever new.
