Wonder and Awe
Click On The Pictures to See the source, or click on this picture to view others from my vacation in 1998 to Egypt
"The most beautiful and deepest experience a (person) can have is the sense of the mysterious. It is the underlying principle of the religion as well as of all serious endeavor in art and in science." - Albert Einstein, "My Credo"
Any young child is full of wonder and awe, from the first winter snow to the insects in the sandbox or even the towering slide on a playground. But as a child of nine, I experienced wonder and awe of life that still perplexes many modern day architects. I encountered first hand, the Pyramids of Giza
Wonder has two conotations. One way it is used is in the felling of awe or reverence we get when we come face-to-face with great beauty or majesty. I experienced this awe when standing in front of the Great Pyramids of Giza. I had been in Egypt for a week prior to viewing these architectural feats. Before seeing the pyramids, I had witnessed The Tombs of Kings and Queens, had entered and toured various tombs of other royalty, and had roamed the streets of Cairo. But none of these experiences compared to riding a camel up to the pyramids themselves. When I stood next to these magnificent structures, I was awestruck by the magnitude of the number of block stones and the weight that I imagined each stone to have. I was amazed to see these pyramids, and the experience was so great that the texture of the stones is still vivid in memory.
The second connotation for wonder is curiosity. The pyramids engulfed me in the magnitude, and I couldn’t help but wonder how they came to be. I knew that the Egyptians had built them, but I was curious to know how they were able to transport these bricks which were about 2.5 tons in weight. This blew my mind. I couldn’t grasp in my imagination the ability to move these stones without modern day technology. Another thing I fascinated about was the inside structure of the pyramid. I knew that you could walk inside of the pyramids, but I didn’t know how the builders were able to create such a huge and rough structure that could have hallways and walkways on the inside. Unfortunately, I still am wondering what the inside of the pyramid looks like.
I have already lived a full life of wonder and awe, having traveled to Europe as a young child and seeing the magnificent cultures of the English and French. I have roamed the Sahara and southern lands of Africa while experiencing the wild lives of many beasts. What I realize know is that the images and objects that have produced feelings of wonder and awe are also the things that I have always remembered, and I know I will probably never forget them as long as I live. I am thankful to God to give us the gift of mystery because without it my life wouldn’t be as exciting and creative as it has already been.
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