The Face of Wonder (Updated from 7/5/2014)

"Wonder is the beginning of wisdom."

-- Socrates

I saw many families and many children over the holidays. Children never cease to give me a feeling that, as we grow older, we lose an element of life that God wished for us and gave to us, and we promptly dismiss it as an unnecessary part of our own "created" realities. Most of us have lost the sense of wonder.

I see it in museums and at the seashore, carnivals, parades, and holiday celebrations.  The look in a child's eyes, as they marvel at something, is to look into the face of angels; the innocence, naiveté, and the wonder of all things new to them.  Amazing to me is that a child ever finds a reason for sadness, except as a witness to the destruction of beauty or their irreplaceable innocence.  Wouldn't it be marvelous if we could all maintain this wonder of the universe around us, a desire to always find the magic in things, and the capacity to always see the beauty even in that which is not so much?

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

-- W.B. Yeats

I think many of us think of a sense of wonder as unnecessary to the lives we fill with survival or getting ahead in life.  We see the flowers, but rarely stop to marvel at the colors or the scent.  Children see it.  They stop to look, to touch, to smell.  They smile in wonder and it makes me smile at their delight. 

I suppose this is why I have written and voiced such issues with those that would do harm to the innocent.  We all should be forming our opinion about the innocence of our children and what value we place on it.  If you think those that perpetrate crimes against children do not deserve punishment over and above what fits the crime, do yourself a huge favor.  The next time you are around children at a carnival or some other event, look into their eyes and remember, this is your future.  They are the future of us all.

"You'll never find a rainbow if you are looking down."

-- Charles Chaplin

As I understand it, we are now allowing, by governmental decree in some states, for women to give birth and then decide if they'd like to abort the child.  We have crossed from the argument of murder to committing murder, and still, nobody seems to care as long as a woman has the right to choose the murder of her child.  This oversteps the health of the mother and imaginary boundaries concerning rape or other "excuses" which should be dealt with immediately with a "morning after" pill.  We seem to hold onto any excuse for the destruction of innocent life.  Is this what we've come to?  As a grandparent, I am ashamed of a "humanity" in which I see very little humanity.  We have truly reverted back to animals, and, perhaps, some of us never left.  Are we doomed to become a society of immoral sociopaths?  It would seem to be the case.

As a grandparent, I claim a special responsibility not to understand the murder of the unborn due to some moronic definition of what constitutes life.  Think about this:  It seems as if we only define life in order to legally excuse the destruction of it.  In other words, if something doesn't meet our ignorantly loose definition of life, then our conscience is legally clear and we can feel free to destroy it, and morality be damned.  As a grandparent, I also claim the right to call out those who dare to think murdering babies after they are born is, in any way, not considered a crime against humanity. 

“Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”

-- Franz Kafka

Our country is now questioning the active process of killing innocence, of denying religion and morality and dulling the prized gleam in our children's eyes.  As with other great civilizations, like the Roman Empire, our civilization is now having to face cultural decay due to what is seen as the same "politics of immorality" which has been the impetus for societal destruction throughout history  We are at the cusp of repeating history because we don't pay attention to the lessons we learn.  Because we seem satisfied to rewrite, or not teach, those histories we find unsatisfactory or distasteful in favor of kinder, gentler, histories based on ignorance.  But, I digress.  Do I?

My grandchildren still have this gleam of wonder.  Most children I see have it as well.  If you look into a child's eyes you will still see it... for the time being.  I hope you will take a moment to watch the innocence around us.  I hope you take the time to look into the eyes of a child.  I hope it brings out your own sense of wonder.  Now, consider the laws which allow the killing of such innocence, of this sense of wonder, and ask yourself, "Why?"

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead —his eyes are closed. The insight into the mystery of life, coupled though it be with fear, has also given rise to religion. To know what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms—this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.”

-- Albert Einstein

 

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions, and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I have come to believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance... he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com