losing our awe

St Jerome talks to us today about the feeling we get (or should get) when we visit holy places, in A Year with the Church Fathers. He says that people might criticize him for acting "like a weak woman" or being superstitious about being in holy places. But he says that it's foolish not to respect the holy.

And he's right. We are in danger in the west of losing our awe. We use the word "awesome" so often that we sometimes forget what awe really means. And we've seen so many amazing things in movies and TV shows that it's tempting to think of holy places, like churches, as being full of awe. It's easy to think of them as "ho hum" humdrum boring places, rather than remembering that it is in these places (among others) that we meet with God.

The Bible tells us pretty clearly that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And it's easy to see how it is foolish to act like "I've seen it all" and so treat God and His church with disrespect.

But on the other hand, let's foster in our hearts a renewed sense of awe, shouldn't we? Especially now, in the season of advent. Let's calm our minds and our hearts, and create a place of awe and respect so that when, in just a few days, we celebrate the blessed child in the manger, we can worship Him with glad hearts and true wonder at the amazing thing that the incarnation is.

God, please help us regain our awe.