A Lifetime of Wonder

The example that I have chosen as my topic for this post encompasses a few different kinds of awe. Two of the biggest themes of this book are, the beauty and splendor of nature and the wonder and joy behind the human experience, as well as the connection that we have with God. The story explores how everybody is connected through the shared experiences of life, and that we are all a part of nature. 
My example is the book Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. It is the story of John Ames, and a collection of his memories that he's writing for his son. John is a pastor, like both his father and grandfather. The book chronicles his life, and describes how he was able to find God through the beauty of nature and in the actions of those around him.
As rife as this book is with references and observations about nature, this quote is my favorite. “The moon looks wonderful in this warm evening light, just as a candle flame looks beautiful in the light of morning. Light within light...It seems to me to be a metaphor for the human soul, the singular light within that great general light of existence.” The prose in this book is so poetic, and I think that this element adds to the wonder of this book. It certainly helps the reader feel the same kind of awe as John is experiencing. I also love how he ties a lot of his observations back to the human soul, and the inner light that we all have.  There are many instances when wonder is expressed at human nature or behavior. I love this quote from the book, as John brings up a point that all of us are familiar with, but never really think about. “It is an amazing thing to watch people laugh, the way it sort of takes them over. Sometimes they really do struggle with it . . . so I wonder what it is and where it comes from, and I wonder what it expends out of your system, so that you have to do it till you're done, like crying in a way, I suppose, except that laughter is much more easily spent.” The whole book is like this. John points out the most ordinary things about nature or humans, and he expresses the wonder that he sees in these simple acts or things. It's truly amazing. Another thing that he points out about human behavior is that, “These people who can see right through you never quite do you justice, because they never give you credit for the effort you're making to be better than you actually are, which is difficult and well meant and deserving of some little notice.” There isn't a whole lot that I feel like I can say. These quotes just say it all for me. I think that this book would be a great thing for Cara to look at, because while fictional, it's a great example of a person's memories that are filled with awe and wonder.