Last week several of our staff travelled to Iowa to participate in a bi-annual gathering of Mennonite camps from across the US and Canada. Together we exchanged stories, shared struggles, and found encouragement from one another for the seasons to come. I felt especially grateful for the presence of our Canadian counterparts, recognizing the gift of relationships across national borders, especially in this time. Crooked Creek Christian Camp hosted us well, providing an opportunity for our staff to be on the receiving end of hospitality – a real gift!
Throughout the week I found myself repeatedly drawn to trails of the open prairie. Whenever there was a free moment, I laced up my shoes and headed out to walk the open landscape, in awe at the expansiveness of the sky overhead and the sweeping prairie grasses. It became a bit of a running joke among our staff as I repeatedly marveled at the spaciousness of the open prairie in contrast to the caved-in feeling that comes from the arching trees and kettle lake at Camp Friedenswald. (In the end, however, we all decided we were happy to be returning to the Peaceful Woods, even if our view of the night sky is limited.)
I didn’t anticipate experiencing such awe in Iowa (no offence, Iowans) – but I did! Underneath the expansive sky, I felt small. And yet, at the same time, part of something much bigger than myself. In our singing (thanks to the Soil and Seed Project!), playing (we’ve got to get Flip 7 at Camp Friedenswald!), and watching the sunset on another day, I experienced awe and felt part of something so much bigger than myself.
As we prepare for the summer ahead and lean into our theme of Walkin’ in Wonder at Camp Friedenswald, I’ve taken to walking more – and to seeing what I might learn about wonder. There is all kinds of research that’s gone into understanding the human emotion of awe and the mental state of curiosity that follows it: wonder. Much of this research, led by Dr. Dachner Keltner, points to the many benefits of experiencing awe, such as greater capacity for sharing and cooperation, greater concern for the environment/others, an increased likelihood of making positive changes in our behavior, and its positive impacts on health, among other benefits. All good things.
As Keltner defines it, awe is “the feeling we have when we encounter vast, mysterious things.”
And this is where I see a connection to our language and life of faith: awe is a feeling we have when we encounter the mystery that we call God. We can cultivate wonder and awe as a spiritual practice in our lives by paying attention to and beholding the beauty of the world around us – in the prairie, the sky, the tree, the bird. Whether in Iowa, the Peaceful Woods, or our everyday encounters – it’s all around us. Yet sometimes it takes stepping outside our day-to-day experiences to be reminded to pay attention and to go walkin’ in wonder. My hope is that when campers come to camp this summer that they too will experience something – in the community of campers, staff, and the natural world – that provides a glimpse into the wonder of God’s mysterious, expansive love.