Experiencing Awe Through the Symbols

I would like to both acknowledge and dedicate this class to my friend Debora who has been instrumental in bringing this to life.  

Last week I received a message from Alice. It was quite obvious from her message that she had experienced a moment of awe. When Moses asked God for His name, God says I AM who I AM. The I AM of God in Hebrew is pronounced Ehyeh and in many Arabic bibles it is written as this pronunciation. When Alice read the class transcript, she realized that the old English/Norse pronunciation of Awe (eh-yeh) is the same as the name of God. Whoaaa!

Indeed, the experience of awe is a fundamental aspect of our relationship with God. Awe is a fundamental attribute of the religious experience. It is not difficult to imagine how experiences of mystical awe would lead a group of people to institute practices, rituals, beliefs, and even morals around these experiences, essentially the starting blocks of religion. As we discussed before, awe can inspire feelings of connection with a force greater than ourselves, we feel like we are in the presence of the divine, that the place where we are standing upon is sacred, perhaps the future location of a temple. But, we want to stay connected with the divine, it is a great feeling of belonging, warmth, being touched and seen. So, we institute rituals and practices to imitate the conditions at the time we experienced this moment of awe. These rituals, such as prayer, meditation, and worship formalize the relationship between the individuals and the transcendent. Awe is a feeling of reverence, respect, fear, and, therefore, to honor the transcendent, we establish moral and ethical guidelines. The purpose of these is to show the divine our humility and commitment to this source of life. 

The experience of awe is a joyful occasion. It puts my self-identification in perspective, I am small, but God is big. My worries and concerns are meaningless against the magnificence of life. Experiencing awe opens us up to life mysteries, it grants us inner peace, makes us more open minded and loving people, and gives us joy. It is a liberating experience. 

Unfortunately, the initial joyful discovery of awe does not seem to last over time in the establishment of religions. It seems that this sense of awe ,joy, and freedom  that led the early believers to establish the religion eventually gets lost in the primacy of the rituals, practices, and ethical and moral guidelines. What began as a way to celebrate and honor the divine becomes an obligation to be followed.  This is not specific to a single religion, think of it as the evolution of religion. As these movements grow and gain followers, they often seek structure to preserve teachings, unify practices, and create a shared identity. Rituals and guidelines then provide continuity and cohesion across generations, which can certainly help people feel connected to their history and community. However, this structure can also lead to a shift: the focus turns from the original experience to the preservation of ritual and doctrine. What began as an expression of awe sometimes becomes an obligation, and the rituals—while powerful reminders for some—can become rote, restrictive, or rigid for others.

This tension between the original awe experience and the formal institutionalization of beliefs and practices seems to recur across religions, where the creative, transformative spirit that birthed the movement may become secondary to the need for stability, order, and identity.

Does this mean that religions lose their awe? Think of how Christianity was established. The tremendous awe that the disciples experienced after the resurrection of Jesus and at the Pentecost transformed them. They couldn’t hold themselves back anymore, they had to evangelize everyone about the amazing things they had experienced. They finally understood all the enigmatic sayings of Jesus about his death and resurrection, his explanations of the prophecies about himself in scriptures, and his relationship with God. It was the epiphany of a lifetime! 

But what about us today? Where is the awe in our religion? Have we lost it? Is it possible to get it back?

I think the answer is yes, we can rediscover awe in religion and today I would like to tell you that we can still feel the same awe that the disciples felt. The awe that gave them immense joy and liberation, the awe that led them to evangelize and baptize everyone in their way. The awe that essentially created the early church. We can share their awe; it is ours like it is theirs. The only problem now is that we don’t know where to find this awe. 

I think this awe has been preserved in religions in the exact symbols and rituals that we hold dear. It is these that hold the key to our experience of the awesome. I would like to propose the idea that the symbols that we carry in our lives and that we obtain from our religion are our portals to awe. They open up these awe experiences for us. But before we talk about how symbols are able to do that, we first need to discuss what symbols are.

CHATGPT: A symbol is an object, shape, sign, or image that stands for something beyond its literal meaning, often representing abstract ideas, qualities, or concepts that are difficult to express directly. Symbols encapsulate complex meanings and evoke emotional or intellectual responses, allowing people to communicate layers of meaning through a single, recognizable form.

For example, a heart shape is commonly used as a symbol of love, though a heart as a biological organ has no inherent connection to love. Likewise, a flag is a piece of cloth, but it symbolizes a nation’s values, identity, and unity.

Symbols are powerful because they can compress deep ideas into something tangible and can hold multiple meanings at once. In this way, they operate as a kind of “language” that transcends words. They are found in nearly every aspect of culture, including art, religion, literature, and daily life, and their interpretations can vary widely based on cultural, historical, or personal contexts.

Key aspects of symbols include:

1. Representation of Ideas: Symbols represent abstract or complex ideas. For example, the scales of justice symbolize fairness and equality, without needing to explain these concepts in words.
2. Evoking Emotional Responses: Symbols can elicit strong emotional responses, as they are often tied to cultural or personal experiences. A peace sign, for instance, can invoke feelings of hope or solidarity.
3. Condensing Complex Meanings: Symbols condense meanings that might be difficult to explain fully in words. Religious or spiritual symbols, like the cross, often embody complex theological ideas about life, the universe, or the divine.

Through their simplicity and versatility, symbols help people convey and understand the world’s deeper meanings in ways that language sometimes can’t.

Think of religion as a language while symbols are the vocabulary of this language. The symbols carry far richer meanings and associations than regular language can convey. Symbols evoke powerful emotions, they act like doorways into the depths of our psyche, guiding us toward inner truths and experiences that may not be accessible through logic or language alone. But that’s not just it, there are even more powerful symbols, referred to by Carl Jung as archetypes. An archetype is a universal, recurring symbol or motif that appears across cultures, religions, and time periods, representing fundamental human themes, patterns of behavior, or stages of life. Archetypes are part of what Jung calls the collective unconscious. Jung, and Joseph Campbell after him, believed that all of humanity shares a collective part of their psychology. That us gathered here today and the indigenous people of north America as well as the Aboriginals of Australia share a core aspect of our psychology that is unconscious. How we communicate this part of us is through these shared and deep symbols. Examples include the journey of the hero which is very similar to the journey of faith, or how we look for the completion of the self through love or through union with God, or how we see our negative emotions as dark and repressed demons of our psychology.

For us gathered here today, Christianity is our shared language. We are all fluent in it. I only need to mention a symbol, such as Jonah and the whale, for you to make far richer associations. Perhaps about how God had to teach Jonah a lesson regarding God’s will vs man’s will, or how the three days Jonah spent in the whale are a prophesy for the time Jesus spent in the grave before his resurrection. In this class, we all share the symbol of grace, a powerful and transformative symbol. Only think of who you were before joining this class and who you are today to realize the power and potency of grace. 

This common language connects us in ways we don’t always appreciate.  Is that what brings us back here week after week, year after year? 

But let us get back on track, What I would like to propose to you today is that these symbols can open up the experience of mystical awe. We all carry these symbols within us, they form part of our identity. What I think we fail to do is to give them the power they command. Symbols can override the intellect. They can carry us into the spiritual. How we connect with the spiritual involves the senses and our emotions. The spiritual is a sensory experience. Since our primary sense is sight, perhaps that explains the proclamation of Jesus in his mission statement to bring recovery of sight for the blind. Mystical awe is primarily a sensory experience. The symbol can establish an emotional connection. It can disassociate the intellect from the senses therefore opening up the senses to experience the divine. 

For me, the magnificence of God arriving to a scared and lonely Elijah in a still small voice has transformed my forest hikes into an experience of awe. Every time I hear the ruffles of tree leaves, and I sense the embrace of the wind on my skin, I feel that I am in the presence of God. It is as if, in that moment, God is talking to me. And I have to stop and listen. 

There is no shortage of symbols in the bible. In this class, we discussed magnificent symbols- the olive oil that never runs out, the shepherd that never tires from looking for his lost sheep, and the ultimate symbol, the cross of Jesus. One of the worst humanly conceived torture and execution apparatus is transformed into the salvation tool of God. This is the wisdom and judgment of God. Amen.

The experience of awe is far more accessible than we often realize. We tend to associate awe with rare or extraordinary events—like witnessing a stunning natural wonder, a powerful piece of art, or a profound spiritual experience— but awe can actually be found in everyday moments, if we approach them with openness and attention. Psalm 19:1-2 (NIV):

“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.”

What I tried to highlight during this class is that we all have access to this awe from God through the symbols that we carry within. However, I think I need to make it clear that this is not something that we can control. Who you are, what religion you follow, and the details of your daily life are underwritten by God. Therefore, it follows that the symbols that you hold within you are placed there by God as well. Think of symbols as the vocabulary of God. Symbols are the words that God chooses for personal communication. God will choose whatever symbol is relevant in the moment, even if you are not aware that you ever held that specific symbol within you. That’s why the experience of awe feels so wonderful. It is a feeling of divine love, a love that is pure, naked, raw, but also boundless and infinite. I think that experiencing awe is a part of our spiritual inheritance.

Have you ever wondered what God tastes like? How does God’s touch feel like? What does God smell like? How does God look like? And what does God sound like? Psalm 37:4. “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

David: I’ve developed a somewhat controversial view of awe since Michael’s first fascinating talk on the topic. I liked what he said today about the notion of having an inner awe and there being an everyday kind of awe (which seems like a contradiction in terms), but I sense what he means by it, and I agree with it. But with regard to awe being a liberating experience, my first thought then was of how easily we are to be in awe of (say) a king and his trappings. So the more magnificent the clothes you wear and so on, the more awesome you become. That can be the very opposite of liberating. It can be enslaving. My point is, of course, that awe is something that can be manipulated. So to me, if you feel awe because of some external circumstance, I think you need to consider it very, very carefully, which maybe kills the sense of awe, but maybe that would be a good thing. I mean, to me, awe is a kind of vulnerability of the Spirit. It opens up your spirit to external manipulation, and that cannot be a good thing. Jesus seemed to avoid being awesome. He had absolutely no trappings of a king or anything else. Quite the opposite. He did everything he could not to be awesome. He died “despised and rejected of men” (Isaiah 53:3). There were no Christian trappings, no symbols, no rituals in his time—they were all developed later. There was only his Word, and that, to me, constitutes all the awe that we need. I agree with Michael’s assessment that symbols may in some ways transcend words, but only if they lead us directly to the Word of Jesus inside us. Michael’s remark that he feels an inner awe when he’s walking through a forest seems to me the only genuine kind of awe. My main point is that awe is a dangerous thing because it can be easily manipulated through baubles.

Don: I’m wondering to what extent the awe experience is a matter of personality as well. I think about Donald’s mother-in-law, Carolyn’s sister, who, in my mind, uh, sort of lives a life of awe. She sees awesomeness in a lot of things that are sensory, and I contrast her with just what David said, which is that he is concerned about the trappings of awe, lest they become misinterpreted. So I’m wondering, to what extent do you think that awesomeness, or the perception of awe, is partly personality-driven? I also enjoyed your question about, what does God taste like, because the Psalm says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

C-J: Taste is many things. It’s scent. It’s all the senses. It’s texture, it’s sound, it’s smell, it’s all of it. The beauty of tasting something involves lots and then the nourishment that it gives your body. I didn’t think of it in a literal sense, because I am a very sensual person, and I like to be in it. I like to go out and just stand in the wind and breathe in the fall, all of that. It is so that concept of awe, but in terms of personality, I think it’s what the awe component is—the creation of God recognized in that person, someone who plays an instrument to perfection like you’ve never heard it interpreted before. The awe of God giving that gift to an individual and that being expressed as another light, another aspect of who and how God is. Then there’s the awe of discovery in science. You know, watching a child learn something. They’re not tangible; they’re experiential, and they’re gone in a fleeting moment, or they’re building blocks for the next level of awareness. But awe is something that we cannot do in and of ourselves as individuals. It has to be Holy Spirit imbued. I cannot create awe. I can only be a vessel. I can only be an instrument in the hand of God, and all of God’s creation is a reflection of that gift.

Donald: Thank you, Michael, that was very thoughtful this morning and much appreciated. I do think that if you can remember way back when I made the presentation about semiotics and symbols, this ties together to some extent. However, I didn’t use the word “awe” in that conversation. And so you’re taking it one level, or many levels, beyond. The difference between seeing something symbolically and feeling something that’s awesome, or having a sense of awe, is quite different. I presented many symbolic pictures of our perception of what religion is and what Christ is, but that’s all man-made. We have no idea whether that really represents that. And that’s quite a different feeling or concept than, really, what I think you shared this morning, because you’re speaking of awe specifically, not symbols necessarily. I think there’s quite a distinction between the two, to be honest with you. There’s a distinction also between the words “awe” and “awesome.” I looked it up while you were making your presentation, and “awesome”—we use that word quite frequently. That’s awesome. That’s quite different than “we are in awe.” We can stand outside, not see the breeze. We can see the effect of the breeze. We can feel the breeze. That’s—we are in awe. Somebody that makes a fabulous catch in football can be awesome. There’s quite a distinction. I really think we need to see the difference there in this conversation. When you made your presentation this morning, I can think of one time in our lives, Beck and my lives, that we were awestruck—maybe that’s another way of going about it. But one time we were traveling, and we were at Mont Saint-Michel, an iconic island off the coast of France, if you’re familiar with that. It used to be a place in which priests, monks would spend their lives isolated in this space. And it’s a castle, but it doesn’t look like a castle. It looks more like a pyramid. You should look it up if you haven’t—Saint-Michel. And we were climbing because it’s many, many stair steps to the top, and once we got to the top, it’s all stone. It was constructed many, many, many centuries ago. As we got near the top, we could hear something. Now, there was nothing in that building to absorb sound. It’s all stone masonry. And as we got near the top, we could hear something, and it was kind of a sound, and we got closer and closer, and it was monks praying. And that was an awesome moment. I mean, I still get goosebumps when I’m telling you this story. So, I’m wondering, number one, you can have an awesome moment. I’m going to go to church in a few minutes, and I’m sure I will be confronted with awesome moments, but the next Sabbath will be the same thing. So they become somewhat routine, and they lose their awesomeness. So, if you’re confronted with it or you seek it, it’s quite different. That is, if you’re listening carefully and you hear the leaves crinkling, you weren’t going outside saying, “Let me go outside and hear that”—you noticed it. And I think there’s a difference in awe: I feel the breeze, I feel the warmth of the sun. You’re confronted with it, as opposed to seeking it. Maybe that ties to what Dave has to say. I’m not sure. But I think you’re right in terms of Don’s question and personality. Dolores certainly is always in the epitome of being optimistic, and maybe because she is confronted with more awe moments. The rest of us are a little bit more sour. You know, Ken was not sour—her husband was not sour, but he wasn’t one that thought everything was beautiful. He was a wonderful man, but personality probably does play a role. You have to jar those people, nudge those people along, that aren’t looking for happiness or haven’t found happy. So, maybe I’ve said too much, or I’m sure I’ve said too much, but those are a few of the thoughts that I’m thinking.

Reinhard: In society today, we see sometimes the performance of a magician; maybe the audience would not use the word “awe,” but perhaps “mesmerize” about him. But the audience of Jesus, during Jesus’ time, when Jesus performed miracles, I think experienced more than just “awe.” They experienced something extraordinary, supernatural. And then we look at Jesus’ experience when he healed the centurion’s assistant and the Canaanite woman, the Phoenician woman in Mark 7 and Matthew 15. When Jesus mentioned the woman who did not deserve to be part of the Jews, for the message when Jesus came to this earth about the children’s bread being not for everybody. The woman replied that even the dogs get crumbs from the children’s table. Jesus mentioned marveling at the faith of those who understood about Jesus. But to me, I think, all in all, we see the mission of Jesus. We go back to the Great Commission here. I’d like to mention that during Jesus’ mission before he departed to heaven, we see that the purpose of Jesus’ coming was to correct the beliefs of the Israelites. He never mentioned outsiders, such as the Canaanite woman, who was not part of the plan of salvation. But when Jesus went to heaven, that changed. He gave the Great Commission to spread the gospel to the ends of the world. Once he completed his mission on this earth, before he went back to heaven, the Great Commission had to be proclaimed to the entire world, including us, here and now. We are thankful we are part of this mission. So, in Jesus’ time people witnessed miracles; it was more than just “awe.” Think of his walking on the water, seen only by the disciples, and the raising of Lazarus.

Anonymous: Thank you, Michael, you really get me to think. I’ve been trying to remember the incidents where I felt awe throughout my life. There aren’t many, but as I think about them, I find that they’re all connected to God in my mind. Everything that evokes my sense of awe is always, always related to God—whether it’s His word, the Bible, nature, seeing awesome things, hearing a musical piece, reading a poem, or seeing a play. These last three might seem like they’re about people with talent evoking awe, but it’s not, because whenever something like this touches my heart, I always think, “Wow, God.” I mean, how could a human being come up with these beautiful things, whether it’s music, composing, writing a poem, or creating art? It’s all because of You—because of how great You are, making these people able to show this awesome production. If it’s nature, it really makes me feel small. I remember one time, from the highest part of Jordan in a place called Ajloun, I saw the land of Israel or Palestine right below, on a clear day just before sunset. I saw the vastness of the land, and something touched my heart; I couldn’t form words, I couldn’t say anything—I was just struck with awe. The more frequent moments of awe mostly come from the Bible. I can’t even recall how many times, as I was reading my Bible by myself, I ended up crying because of the awesomeness of God—whether it’s His love, grace, understanding, or wisdom. He just impresses me over and over again. I think personality maybe has something to do with it, but closeness to God plays a major role in this sense of awe. As you said, Michael, when you feel awe, you feel the presence of God. That is very true. God is the source of awe, and nothing else—not humans, not the works of humans. We don’t seek awe. We don’t go to church or nature to find awe—it strikes us suddenly in a moment when we feel very close to God. It’s not about signs, though there are many signs in the Bible that create awe. One thing I was thinking about is the sign of the beloved vineyard in Isaiah 27. God compares us to a vineyard He loves so much, one He cares for constantly, day and night, watering it and looking after it. You can feel the love in these signs. God’s love is awesome. Everything about God is awesome.

Carolyn: Would you say, then, that even though we have nothing to do with creating awe, there is something on our part about being open to receive it? I don’t mean to be judgmental, but if you’re standing in a group, singing, listening, watching, some people are struck with awe, while others may not experience it in the same way. Some are blessed to say, “I’ve had this awe experience.” I would love to hear everyone’s experiences related to awe in their lives. Just what some of you have shared today has been so inspirational to me. But I wonder, when you say there’s nothing we can do, do we still need to have that openness with the Lord? Maybe He opens a window, shows us, and allows us to experience awe with Him. And by the way, Michael, thank you—I’ve enjoyed this immensely.

Donald: I think you brought this forward, Michael, and this connects to Carolyn’s thought: size might have something to do with this too. A mountain, for example, brings awe to us. It shows us our smallness compared to something very large. So I do think there’s something to be said, as you were mentioning, Carolyn, about singing solo versus singing in a massive choir. There is something about size and knowing my place in relation to the vastness. When you look at a star-filled sky, you realize, okay, in my day-to-day life, I’m full of myself and my thoughts, but in the grand scheme of things…

Don: Are there people who can bring us into awe? Is that a spiritual gift? Are there people who recognize awe, as Carolyn was saying, where two people experiencing the same moment have different perceptions? Is there such a thing as an awe leader?

C-J: I think there’s a difference between being inspirational and being led by the Holy Spirit. I’ve been in churches where I knew it wasn’t the person speaking but the Holy Spirit revealing God’s presence. The energy just shifted, and I wasn’t aware of my physical body or where I was. I was just in the presence of something transformational—that’s different than just being inspired, like thinking, “That was a good service; I’ll carry that with me for a few days.” When Jesus spoke, I believe the Holy Spirit spoke. Was He an inspirational speaker because He knew the word of God? Yes, and He delivered it in a way people could understand in their context. But when Jesus spoke with authority, not just through miracles, even the Pharisees were afraid, because it was the Holy Spirit speaking, not a ritual. It wasn’t planned or expected—the power of the Holy Spirit is transformational.

Carolyn: Are you saying, then, that when you’re sitting in a congregation, feeling so awestruck, inspired, and joyful, and you know you’ve been touched with awe for the Lord, you look around the church and realize not everyone feels the same? I had always thought that awe came from the pastor or whoever was speaking, singing, or playing. But do we all hear it differently? Is this moment just for me, or did I ask the Lord for this that morning, and He’s showing me something larger than the rest of the congregation? What is my role in an awe moment?

C-J: I don’t think we have a role. I think that it’s just an awareness. God is present, and we become aware of it. God doesn’t need us—we need God. God doesn’t love me because of who I am; He loves me because of who He is—this creator, this intentional purpose. I know there’s, you know, an interpretation of scriptures that says God created us to praise and worship Him. But does a parent create a child to praise and worship them? No. The parent delights in their child’s learning, growing, playing, laughing. You know, being hugged, being kissed, even preparing a meal, even if it’s not lavish. It’s about expressing love to another. I don’t think we can ever truly comprehend the fullness of God, and that’s humbling because God doesn’t love us the way we love God—we’re limited. But that inspiration is always present. I don’t think Moses had to go to the mountaintop to be told, “Take off your shoes, for the ground you stand on is holy ground.” I think that’s a human construct. When we go into a church and see those beautiful stained glass windows, the music, the people we love, the faith we embrace—it does, you know, create a shift in our minds. But even getting up in the morning, my first thought is, “Thank you, Lord, for this day,” watching the light come through my window, feeling my dog next to me. That’s all the presence of God in this awareness, in this time and space.

Carolyn: Let me ask you this—I’m sorry, Connie, let me just ask one thing. You see the sunshine come through the window with an awesome sense of praise, but your neighbor has the same kind of window and might see it differently. What makes it an awesome feeling for you? And why might it not be the same for the person next door? What is that relationship?

C-J: I don’t think it’s my business to judge someone else’s relationship or awareness with God. God does the work. It’s not like I knew to show up—God touched me. It wasn’t anything I did or had the power to create. I’m going to find out who God is, and that’s a lot. All I can do is ask that I use the grace God gives me for that day wisely and not let my ego or anger get in the way.

Carolyn: Okay, does that make sense? Yes, but I still think we have a certain—maybe this is what Don said about personality. We have to be willing and open to receive it. I think it’s because we don’t yet have the knowledge, the love—we’re on a journey. Some of us are babies on that journey, and some are further along. Where you see things in an awe-filled way, I love that. I just feel so close to the Lord. It doesn’t happen every day, and I wish it did. I wish it would happen a lot more. But I also know there has to be a cleansing power sometimes to open us up. I’m not sure if I’m using the right words, but maybe Michael, you can help me here.

Donald: I think you’re right, Carolyn. I think you have to be receptive. It doesn’t mean that you create it, but you have to be in a mindset to feel it. I know that right now, I could put some music on and be inspired. It’s a beautiful day, and I can look out the window and find a place to discover awe and know that it’s there. But that was my point earlier—are you confronted with it, or are you just aware you’re going to be inspired by it? I think there’s a distinction. If you’re confronted with awe but too busy to notice it, that’s a missed moment. Your neighbor might have pulled the blinds down because they wanted to sleep. There are so many reasons we can be inspired. I think in the quietness of morning, it’s easier to be receptive—not that you’re creating it, but you’re open to it.

Carolyn: Right, in the morning we don’t have our hearts and heads full of everything else we accumulate during the day, so we’re able to receive it more fully.

Reinhard: When two people in the same location look at the same thing but see it differently or have different receptions of God’s love, like Carolyn mentioned with the sun, personality plays a role. Yes, it’s personality, but also their belief in God. I think that’s what it is. It depends on how someone views God’s blessings to them. Some people may not appreciate it because they may not have a close relationship with God. But for us, we see it as a blessing from God, and we accept it. I think our acceptance is very important—seeing God as provider and creator. Even this forum we have here is a blessing. In our lives, we have these temporary moments of awe, bound by time and space, but the awesomeness of God is permanent. There’s the sun, the universe—the awesomeness of God can be experienced through our spiritual life and our closeness to God. I think that’s important. As long as we appreciate and accept it, that’s the most important thing as Christians, as believers. We have to accept that the awesomeness of God is always present in our lives, anytime and every time.

Don: Maybe awesomeness is like grace—you have to accept it as well. It’s always there, plenty

Michael: I’ve been really moved by everyone’s testimony. And I feel, Carolyn—and yes, as Dr. Weaver says, we have a small part. It’s not a big part, but it seems like it’s important, which is to be open. What I tried to describe here is that these symbols we have in our religion are symbols from God, and sometimes meditating upon them can help. But to be honest, for me—and we haven’t really touched on this yet—the experience of grace has been transformational. Grace is probably the most awesome thing, the biggest experience. I haven’t mentioned it because I think it deserves its own class, but that experience of grace changed me and allowed me to experience more in my life. I also have the feeling that you’re going to experience more moments like these in your lives. Amen, Carolyn, as well. And that’s my hope for these classes.

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