I finished Dacher Keltner’s book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.  Last week I shared some of his discussion about awe in nature.  This week I want to share some of what he discovered about studying awe with a focus on religion and spirituality. 

To begin, around 60% of Americans are religiously inclined.  We could spend our time lamenting that fewer people are religious these days (yes, that is true).  However, Keltner shared that 90% of Americans “believe in the Divine, that some kind of spirit, or vast force, animates the course of their lives, and that there is a soul that persists beyond the life of the body.”  Folks may or may not make their way into religious communities, but most people in our country believe in the Divine in some form.  That’s really something when you stop and think about it! 

And what about those of us who are religious?  Dacher Keltner reflects, “The shared experience of mystical awe transforms our individual selves in ways that make for stronger groups. For example, empirical studies involving thousands of participants find that feeling a sense of spiritual engagement is associated with increased well-being, a reduced likelihood of depression, and greater life expectancy. And greater humility, collaboration, sacrifice, and kindness that spread through groups.”   

If we work with the definition of awe as being amazed at something outside ourselves or feeling connected to something larger than ourselves, it is not hard to understand how being part of a faith community can invoke this emotion within us.  It is next to impossible to practice our faith in isolation.  Being part of a faith community helps us be humbler and collaborative.  Perhaps it even makes us more sacrificial as we think about the greater good and not just ourselves.  It is certainly the hope that religious involvement makes people more kind.  When churches are at our best, it can certainly be awe-inspiring to behold. 

Love,
Pastor Lauren

Photo by Rev. Lauren Ostrout of Winchester Cathedral in Winchester, England.

Thursday Thoughts 6/5/25