Faculty of Wonder

One of the most enjoyable flights we have ever been on was one recently from Hanoi to Hoi An in Vietnam. Unusually, the flight included a large number of young couples with very young children, the ages of the latter ranging from toddler to about seven or eight. In the airport lounge, we watched the children enjoying all that they encountered. When they found each other, they played noisily, and happily.

At one point one of them shouted something in Vietnamese, pointing with delight to something outside the window. My guess is that he had seen a plane. A tidal wave of little children then charged en masse towards the window, and pressed their delighted faces against the glass.

Even on the flight, the happy chatter and excitement continued. Every now and then a face would appear in front or behind us, curious about these unusual looking (to them) adults sitting near them (referring to us).

I have been reading a book on philosophy which speaks of the ‘faculty of wonder’ that we can often see in young children when they come across or look at things that we so often take for granted. The author speaks of the world ‘becoming a habit’ for us adults, and then exclaims that this is a pity.

This was something that Jesus fully appreciated (and delighted in) when He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). He even went on to say, “Whoever will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” It must delight God’s heart when we appreciate the wonders of His creation.

This is not to deny that pain and suffering also exist in this world. It is not always easy to be joyful when we are going through hard times. We should also be mindful that this may be the experience of a person in front of us. However, it is good in our day-to-day not to miss the beautiful things God has created.