AWE

Iriagbonse Akpata
Jul 22, 2017 · 2 min read

We are a generation not given to nuances. We live in an age of amplification, of extreme hyperbole. It’s why those pictures need to have a face beat, why we crave the filters. For us it’s go big or go home.

Many can no longer conceive of the fact that life is a miracle. That nature is a continuous miracle unfolding. Everyday. So they search frantically for the supernatural. It’s why televangelists can peddle ‘god’ as a commodity and people buy. Large bill boards selling religion with catchphrases and taglines. Searching for miracles, when their sleeping and waking is a miracle.

The problem is our heightened threshold for awe. The canvas that is the sky, no longer holds a thrill ; the sound of birds is no longer music to our ears.

We need to cultivate awe, an appreciation for the mundane but exquisite phenomenon that is nature, and a sense of perpetual gratitude.

Go outside. Watch a sunset.

Gaze at the moon on a star-lit night.

Wake up early, before the din of city life and listen. Listen to the silence; then the chirping of crickets; and a cock crow. Hear the abrupt onset of tweets, chirps and sqwuaks that usher in daylight. Slowly regain your sense of nuance. And be grateful for the miracle that you are.

Iriagbonse Akpata

Bluestocking. Word afficionado. God lover

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade