Faith is Awe by Al Sikes

Advent began on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Advent is, in the Christian faith, a period of preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ.

Biblical narratives are filled with heroic acts and transcendent moments. They informed and spurred the evolving church to create organizing principles and protocols in recognition. None are more important than Advent. But I expect that for most of the faithful awe is more important than obligation. The structure of denominational obligation is not unimportant but will not protect the faithful during inevitable moments of doubt as humanity pushes its own mastery.

I can recall the awe as a youth in the story of the Star of Bethlehem. The gospel writer Matthew wrote of a bright star that led the three wise men to the place where Mary gave birth. The celestial guide, The Star of Bethlehem. A miracle.

In more recent centuries the ingenuity of humankind and in particular astronomers and their equipment, have pushed and enabled us to become ever more familiar with the Celeste. Yet as hard as some try it is impossible to isolate the celestial as exclusively physical. Topically, as a symbol of otherworldliness, the Celeste is often on the finger of a superb athlete who strives to share his/her recognition with God as they point to the heavens.

Well last week it happened in a different profession—architecture. Notre Dame, the French Cathedral, was rededicated after a literal rebirth guided by the Cathedral’s architect Phillippe Villeneuve who in a video interview gave recognition to a heavenly assist. Villeneuve said, “You know I spent five years saying nothing about this because I am a civil servant in a secular republic and therefore I couldn’t say something like this, but now I have to reveal that yes I have a particular devotion to the Virgin Mary and at the risk of sounding totally crazy like Joan of Ark, I never stopped feeling support from Up There. I don’t think this project would have been possible otherwise and I think that is what gave me the strength and determination to move because I knew I was being supported from Up There.” Villeneuve was pointing skyward.

We, of course, know that over time the essence of Christianity “neighborly love” has been re-shaped beyond earlier acts of piety and biblical recognition. Humans are busy creatures. Giving today reflects an enormous commercial enterprise. It’s hard for the Star of Bethlehem to compete with advertising. Indeed as fewer and fewer attend worship services the Advent season retreats from our minds and culture. And as it retreats awe as a dimension of faith recedes.

Recognition of the rebirth of Notre Dame was the recognition of enormous accomplishment—awe-inspiring for sure. But what about the widow’s mite? The small coin that was said to represent about six minutes of work in Caesar’s time.  What about the thousands, no millions of small gifts of time and treasure each year? Many sacrificial. Where does that come from?

Or the contemporary version of a “babe in swaddling cloth”. I am reading Alexi Navalny’s book Patriot. You recall. Navalny, now deceased from Vladimir Putin’s obsession, had with his wife Yulia two children. Raised without belief in God he recounted his conversion after experiencing the awe of becoming a father for the first time.

Awe, again and again.

There are moments of transcendent glory that move many to point to the sky, to recognize that there is more to it than simply human striving.

Human striving can be reshaped and certainly has been as we pursue glory in day-to-day stuff. But then comes along those moments we can’t account for. Science doesn’t help. Earthly rewards materialize and then, poof, they are gone. So what about awe? Athletes find it in breaking records. Mothers and fathers in birth. Architects in the rebirth of a Cathedral. What about us?

The stories are there. But if you need to put your mind on today pay attention to your neighbor, his courage, her sacrifice. The reality, not just the stories are awe-inspiring and there is something behind them. What is that something? I can think of no greater inquiry.

Merry Christmas.

Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.