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Wonder
11-19-2014
The Holy Quran often refers to aspects of creation as “signs for those who think”. One of the best known examples is surah Al-Baqara 2:164, “Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the Night and the Day; in the sailing of the ships through the Ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth; (here) indeed are signs for a people that are wise.” Over and over the Almighty encourages people to reflect and investigate. To study nature’s mysteries, magnificence, and magnitude. To be simultaneously humbled and inspired by His perfection and power. To desire to understand the miracles inherent in all of creation in order to draw closer to the Creator. To nourish a sense of wonder.
Some people worry that our easy, and often instantaneous, access to information is deadening this essential sense of wonder. When a question pops into our heads the response is to simply Google it. We read a bit or maybe watch a couple of videos and smugly congratulate ourselves for finding “the answer” and thus becoming slightly smarter. It’s quick and efficient. We don’t have to waste time mulling things over – confused but curious. We begin to view knowledge as a commodity; something that can be prepared, packaged, and consumed. After swallowing the readily available answer, we move on to others questions and their bite-sized resolutions, thereby feeling like we know even more. It’s mental snacking – a bit of this, a bit of that, before you know it, you’re stuffed full of tasty tidbits of information.
Is this superficial information grazing reducing our appetite for more substantial intellectual efforts? A mark of true learning is that we are not satisfied after finding a straightforward answer. When our minds are set on really understanding something the initial answer is simply an appetizer leaving us hungry for more. We crave a chance to savor the intricacies and nuances of the subject, to discover irresistible tangents, to take delight in recognizing how this topic combines with others, and to devour its developmental history so that we can appreciate how the issue gelled into its current form. Wonder is realizing there is always more to experience, and more to the experience than we first realized. Wonder needs time to simmer and stew.
Writer Catherine L’Ecuyer in “The Wonder Approach to Education” defines wonder as “the desire to know the unknown, as well as the already known…never taking anything for granted, even that which is already known.” It’s the ability to see the world with fresh eyes and to appreciate the beauty in all things. She reminds us that wonder is innate in children and believes that it is their center of all motivation and action. When we are young the entire world is new, exciting, and waiting to be explored. We are surrounded by everyday miracles too numerous to count - gravity, digestion, rain, snails, even the functioning of our own brains remain a mystery. Everything on earth and in the universe is a divine gift from God that we tend to discount and devalue as we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and instant access to information.
Do you find your sense of wonder seeping away? L’Ecuyer provides a recipe for nurturing it. Start with beauty. For L’Ecuyer beauty is the “visible expression of truth and goodness”. Truth and, therefore beauty, is consistent, eternal, and evident in the signs generously provide by the Almighty. Next, add sensitivity; “the capacity to not only perceive a thing through the senses, but also to attune to the beauty that is in it.” Sensitivity is focused attention mixed with empathy. Finally, find a confidante to celebrate the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world with. Wonder is increased by taking the time to see the beauty inherent in all things, becoming sensitive to the uniqueness of each and everything, and sharing your thoughts, questions, and reflections with someone else who believes in the importance of spending time contemplating the wonderfulness of it all.
L’Ecuyer quotes G. K. Chesterton “the world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.” The Almighty has gifted us with a world of wonders and has called upon us to think upon them in order to understand and to believe. Feed your sense of wonder to nourish your faith.
Zainab Dhanani can be reached at z_dhanani@yahoo.ca.
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