Luke 1:67-802
Sermon by the Rev. Caela Simmons Wood
December 10, 2023
We return to the scene. Two thousand-ish years ago. Our heroes, Zechariah and Elizabeth, prepare for their big moment in the spotlight. Before the manger filled with hay; before the shepherds keeping their watch; long before the magi come from afar - this couple, Elizabeth and Zechariah, were the stars of the show.
Mary and Joseph were waiting in the wings. Perhaps making one last trip to Target to stock up on diapers or checking their maps for their upcoming trip to Bethlehem. After spending three months at Elizabeth’s home in the Judean hill country, Mary has returned home. And Elizabeth takes center stage as she prepares to give birth.
Now, to understand what takes place at the birthing stool with Elizabeth, we have to back up a bit. To a quiet day in Jerusalem months before, when Zechariah was going about his priestly duties. On that day, the angel Gabriel from heaven came - but this time to Zechariah, not Mary. The first annunciation in the Gospel of Luke was not about Jesus, but a baby who would be named John. These two cousins who leapt in tandem in their mother’s wombs were tied together in so many ways - annunciations, dreams, songs, hopes.
Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and told him that Elizabeth would give birth to a son, who would be named John: “He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before.”
Zechariah had questions. Having caught Gabriel on a bad day, we are told Zechariah was punished for his skepticism by being silenced for the duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.
But now, here we are, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Elizabeth has given birth to a healthy baby boy. Friends and neighbors rejoiced alongside the family and on the 8th day they prepared to circumcise the child. Everyone assumed he would be named Zechariah, after his father, but Elizabeth was quick to correct them: “his name is John,” she said. And (let’s all have an eye roll about this) they didn’t believe her. (eye roll) So they asked her husband (eye roll). Zechariah confirmed, “Yes, John.” And that settled it. John was named and Zechariah got his voice back.
And then (!) the story turns into a musical. This is where I need your help. I’ll sing the first verse of Zechariah’s song so you can learn the tune and then you join me for verses 2 and 3, okay?
(sing Zechariah’s canticle together)
Songs abound in these stories surrounding Christ’s birth. Zechariah’s song echoes the song Mary sang just months before when Gabriel visited her. We call Mary’s song the Magnificat because it begins, “My soul magnifies the Lord…” Mary’s song is a riff on a much older song sung by Hannah at the birth of her own child, Samuel.
All this singing really does feel like a Disney musical - where people just burst into song willy-nilly. Though we may not regularly burst into song in real life, sometimes we feel our hearts sing when we encounter something holy, something amazing, something incredible, something truly awe-some.
Awe is a key theme in our Advent and Christmas stories. Small wonder, since they’re about the births of babies, which is a surefire way to tap into awe. I’ve often wondered if those who attend births eventually become immune to the tangible transcendence that envelops the birthing room. I think it would take witnessing a whole lot of births before my heart stopped skipping a beat at the absolute awe of it all. One moment, nothing but sweat and tears and toil. The next moment, boom. A new human come earthside. And a moment of recognition when you look into the eyes of another soul become flesh and recognize the divine within them. Words can’t begin to capture the feeling of awe in that moment.
Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, has spent a much of his career studying awe. The psychology of happiness was his gateway to the more specific human state of awe, which Keltner defines as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world.” [1]
Keltner has found that the experience of awe varies from culture to culture, but is accessible to people from all walks of life. [2] Far from being an emotion only available to a privileged few, it transcends socio-economic distinctions. Some of Keltner’s most profound research on awe took place inside San Quentin, where he learned from people who are incarcerated about how they experience awe on a regular basis, even in the midst of the trials and tribulations of prison. [3]
Keltner explains that awe is “one of the self-transcendent emotions. It draws us beyond ourselves.” It can sneak up on us, of course, but it can also be cultivated. Keltner and his colleagues gathered stories from people in twenty-six countries about when they feel awe. They took these 2600 narratives and had them translated by speakers of 20 languages at UC Berkeley. They were “surprised to learn that these rich narratives from around the world could be classified into a taxonomy of awe, the eight wonders of life.” [4]
What are the things that make people feel awe most often? Here’s the list:
Something Keltner calls “moral beauty”: which is observing other people's courage, kindness, strength, or overcoming.
“Collective effervescence” (a term coined by French sociologist Émile Durkheim): The sizzling, bubbling, popping feeling we get when we feel part of something bigger than ourselves, often in places like weddings, funerals, concerts, sporting events, graduations, political rallies, and, yes, worship.
Nature: one that I’m sure comes as a surprise to no one.
Music: again, also probably not a surprise. Both making and hearing music can transport us beyond ourselves.
Visual design: big things like seeing the pyramids in Egypt or the Tuttle Creek Dam. And smaller things like the Mona Lisa (who really is quite small, isn’t she?) or the perfect font on a billboard.
Spiritual and religious awe: big mystical stuff like Damascus Road experiences and smaller, quieter stories like looking into the eyes of the person serving you Communion and feeling deeply connected by Christ.
Life and death: the birthing stool isn’t the only place that inspires a sense of awe. Being present at a deathbed can also invite us into transcendence.
Finally, epiphanies: “when we suddenly understand essential truths about life” in a flash of insight or recognition. [5]
Experiencing awe is good for us. Keltner’s research shows that awe triggers the release of the “feel good chemical” dopamine and reduces inflammation. Awe also increases empathy and connection by “quieting brain regions that are activated when we process information from a me-first perspective.” Awe draws us outside of ourselves and makes us less self-centered - a practice that is certainly Jesus-approved. [6]
Of course, it’s not every day that you get visited by an angel or witness a birth. These stories in Luke’s Gospel point us towards awe, but how can we get there on days when angels aren’t knocking on our door? Keltner has four suggestions:
Pay attention. This can be done by absolutely anybody, anywhere. It just takes some practice. People incarcerated at San Quentin spoke of feeling awe by observing the air, watching “the light outside in the yard,” and “learning how to read.” Awe doesn’t require big stuff, it just requires paying attention. [7]
Focus on the moral beauty of others. The news inundates us with stories of people doing awful things. Unplug and take time to witness the goodness of humanity.
Practice mindfulness. Keltner says that “distraction is an enemy of awe.” [8] Mindfulness and paying attention go hand in hand. Both are very good things.
Choose the unfamiliar path. Seeking out novel experiences can lead to awe. It turns out Robert Frost was right: taking the road less traveled by really can make all the difference. [9]
In this Advent season of waiting, may you not only be blessed by a thrill of hope, but also a thrill of awe. And may that thrill of awe lead to the gift of a weary world rejoicing.
NOTES:
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/well/live/awe-wonder-dacher-keltner.html
[3] Keltner, Dacher. Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Chapter four.
[4] Ibid., p. 10-11
[5] Ibid., p. 11-18
[6] https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a42461637/awe-benefits/
[7] Keltner book. p. 73
[8] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/well/live/awe-wonder-dacher-keltner.html
[9] List from Ibid.
