The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. Psalm 19:1-6
“Feelings of awe, defined as the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends one’s understanding of the world, can also increase generosity.
In one study, participants who watched awe-inspiring videos reported greater willingness to volunteer their time to help others—among a host of other positive effects—when compared with participants who watched videos that induced other emotions.
Another study found that participants who took photos of nature scenes that they found inspiring, and later wrote a description of those feelings, reported feeling kinder, more helpful, and more connected to others than did participants who took photos of human-built environments or who did not take any photos.
And yet another study asked some participants to stand among towering eucalyptus trees and look up for one minute, while other participants simply looked up at a building for one minute. Those who looked at the trees experienced more awe—and also picked up more pens for a researcher who “accidentally” spilled them on the ground.
Thus, besides the benefits that come from experiencing wonder at the world, encouraging people to feel awe may have the added benefit of leading those people to behave more generously.”
Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.
Imagine the timing. I did not plan this.
I read this on Sunday morning before heading off to preach and then before our afternoon activity. The GTP Colombia team wanted to take us to Catedral De Sal Zipaquira or in English, the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, to do the Stations of the Cross underground in the salt mines (see photo of the salt cross cathedral).
Getting out of the city (and traffic) of Bogotá provided relief for us and a refreshing time to worship and praise God for all He did for us on the cross, and also all He did to activate a peer accountability movement in Colombia this week. That’s right, a group will form called “Orden” meaning “Order.”
It’s in the Colombia seal to promote “Freedom and Order” and inspired by 1 Corinthians 14:40, “but all things should be done decently and in order.” The verse implies “do things with standards and in order.” We stand in awe of God for how He brought that together. Reply for a copy of the trip report to read all about it.
Anyway, on the last day they took us to this place. It inspired awe in us and motivates us to pursue the vision of spreading generosity and accountability all across Colombia and the world for God’s glory.
When this posts I will be somewhere in the air between Bogotá and Houston arriving on the night flight and getting home late morning. Paula and Carla, my fellow team members return to Guatemala City on Monday afternoon. Thanks for your prayers for safe travel for all of us.
We are good because Jesus takes care of everything.