A group of school children were asked to list what they thought were the current SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD. Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes;
Egypt’s Great Pyramids
Taj Mahal
Grand Canyon
Panama Canal
Empire State Building
St. Peter’s Basilica
Great Wall of China
While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The student replied:“Yes, I am. I can’t make up my mind because there are so many.”
Now let’s pause this story for a moment, and recognize that it is no wonder that the young girl was struggling to name the seven wonders of the world, because the items on that list have changed in the last 20 years. The first SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WOLD list was made more than 2000 years ago, by adventurous Hellenic travelers who marveled at the world’s most incredible man-made constructions. Since then, most of the original list have been destroyed, aside from the Great Pyramid of Giza.
In 2001, Swiss-born, Canadian filmmaker Bernard Wever set up the New & Wonders Foundation to find a new seven wonders of the world for the modern era, asking members of the public to cast their votes. After months of deliberation, debating, and shortlists, these are the impressive structures that made the final cut:
The Colosseum in Rome, Italy — the largest amphitheater ever built, it took 8 years to build. This place held gladiator fights, plays and executions.
The Great Wall of China — a huge barrier that spans thousands of miles along China’s northern border. Created over millennia, the wall was built to protect against invaders
The Taj Mahal, in India — which means, Crown of Palaces, is a mausoleum built by an emperor as a tomb for his wife.
Christ the Redeemer in Brazil — the largest art deco sculpture in the world. Built at the end of the First World War, it is an overpowering symbol of Christianity and hope.
Machu Pichu in Peru — a lost treasure of the 15th century a rare citadel discovered high in the Andes mountains. It is one of the only pre-Columbian ruins found nearly intact, featuring evidence of former plazas, temples, agricultural terraces and homes.
Chichen Itza in Mexico — a historic Mayan city built as a series of monuments and temples. The most celebrated is this temple, El Castillo. The entire temple features 365 steps, one for each day of the year.
Petra, in Jordan — another ancient city with stunning architecture and complex waterways which were carved out of the surrounding rock faces.
Once you look at these structures, it is easy to understand why they were considered a wonder of the world.
Now, let’s return to our story of the class who was making their list of what they thought were the seven wonders of the world. Remember, there was a girl who had not yet completed her list.
The teacher asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The student replied:“Yes, I am. I can’t make up my mind because there are so many.”
The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.” The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD are:
To see
To hear
To touch
To taste
To feel
To laugh
To love
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Oh, to be able to see the world the way that little girl saw the world. What innocence. What appreciation for the simple, wondrous, amazing things of life.
And why don’t we? What is it that keeps us from understanding and articulating what that little girl was able to see and express? I think it is what happens to us as we age, mature, and get knocked around a little bit by life. I think we get jaded, and we lose our innocence.
I remember when Marcie when to visit her first great-nephew when we was one month old. When we returned home I asked her what he was like. She said, “Small. And his skin is so soft. And he is so innocent. The world hasn’t scuffed him up yet.”
A few days ago I was talking with Beth Fried about her grandson, Oscar. She said very similar words. “I don’t want him to lose his easy trust in everything. He is so innocent and full of life and wonder.”
I thought about those words for a few days — I thought about all of the ways we get scuffed up by the world, and what impact that has on us — roughing us up. I thought about how unfairly we are received and treated by others at times. I thought about how our hearts become hardened once we have been hurt badly. And then I thought about how we become jaded and bitter, and unable to have joy or love in our lives. No one wants that to happen to Spencer. No one wants that to happen to any of us. But it does.
A really long time ago, ancient Greek playwright Sophocles wroteM:
“Many are the wonders of the world, and none so wonderful as man.” — Sophocles
When the world scuffs us up, we lose our innocence, our wonder, our easy trust in everything, and we grow bitter and grumpy. Our appreciation and our gratitude fade away. We fail to dream big, to see the beauty in the physical world around us and to feel the wonders of this world within us. We lose the ability to feel awe.
You remember what it’s like to feel awestruck: you are looking at something so spectacular, listening to something so stunning, tasting something beyond belief. You get goosebumps, your jaw drops, you catch your breath. Often we feel awestruck at the abilities of another person. At the obstacles overcome. At the goals achieved.
What in your life gives you awe? What is so thrilling, so magnificent, so epic, that you would list it like that little girl, as one of the wonders of the world? The face of your child? The touch of your spouse’s hand? The smile from a stranger when you most need it?
Feeling awe actually has psychological benefits for us. When we look at the enormity of the Grand Canyon or the expanse of the ocean we are not only awestruck, we are led to a feeling of self-diminishment — which is a good thing. Self-diminishment is just what it sounds like: being made to feel small. Here’s how it helps us: when we feel smaller, we are pulled away from focusing on ourselves, and we can become more generous, more cooperative.
In short, feeling awe makes us more humble. Throughout my life of talking to many people, my own informal study of human behavior leads me to conclude that when we stand in front of the ocean, or the Grand Canyon, or the Taj Mahal, or the child performing for the first time, we are better able to connect to something much bigger than our small selves — which often means God, or our higher power. And once we have done that, when we are back in touch with God, we are reminded that we have been placed in this life to help others, to be kind, and to love freely.
So it’s been a convoluted journey this morning: I started out talking about the seven wonders of the world, and I ended up talking about love. We have to be open to experiencing the big things in life that cause our jaws to drop — the places, the people, the feelings. And those things cause us to be humbled. And humility causes us to notice other people, and to connect with things bigger than we are. That connection reminds us that it all boils down to our ability to love and be loved.
The Bible reminds us “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” — I John 3:11
We are all Spencer and Oscar. Our skin will never be that soft again, and we are indeed a little scuffed up by the world. But we all deserve to feel moved and inspired by epic and awe-filled moments. We all deserve the opportunity to give and receive kindness, helpfulness, and love. Amen.
Writer John Burroughs penned these words: “The longer I live, the more my mind dwells upon the beauty and the wonder of the world.” — John Burroughs
Please join me in dwelling upon the beauty and the wonder of the world in the days to come. Let’s be more open to awe so that our list of the wonders of the world grows longer.
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