Deep Awe

(Today’s audio reading on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QGO0c4VfcJTKLO6BcE77g)

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. (Acts 2:43)

I’m in awe of a glorious, sky-encompassing sunset of purples, reds and oranges. I’m in awe of those with amazing musical abilities and talents, which is revealed through the presentation of a song that causes my spirit to soar. I’m in awe of some of the feats of sports that I’ve either seen or read about. My head and heart, at all of these, and many more similar, exceptional things, says, “Wow! I’m impressed!” My whole being is stirred.

But there is an additional awe that exceeds these: the overwhelming I have when I see God at work. Or, as movie character Forrest Gump put it, when “God shows up.” There is an unmistakable stamp of his presence and work that cannot be explained. We stand back and marvel—either in silence, or whispering words of admiration. It’s actually not unusual to be at a loss of words to explain what God is doing. So, we don’t explain (because we can’t), but just enjoy. Or worship. Or meditate.

Accompanying this Pentecost day of amazing God-intervention, is a note in the long list of happenings that might be easy to overlook about the emotional state of the participants. They were deeply in awe of what God was doing. And it was a state of awe experienced by all of them, and not just a few.

The second half of this verse speaks of the miraculous works of the apostles. From the way the Greek text is written, I take it to be a reason for the awe. With the simple conjunction and in English (which I see in some translations), it seems it could be taken as an add-on, or additional information that is extra to the story. But it indeed appears to be a basis for their awe-filled response: God was visibly at work through his anointed servants, and His demonstrations of supernatural power were leaving his people with their mouths hanging open.

These few but important words almost stand as a short debrief of the entire experience. I imagine them standing in awe of who God is, and in awe of what He’s done, and how he is capable of drawing people to himself. They had experienced the amazing interventions of nature from wind and fire, fluent testimonies of God given by speakers in unlearned languages, heart-piercing preaching, and a turning to God en masse. Now they were witnessing signs and wonders at the hands of the apostles. No doubt they were seeing physical healings, among other things.

I think of the words of the recent song:

“I stand, I stand in awe of you.

Holy God, to whom all praise is due,

I stand in awe of you!”

Would anything but an awe-struck state be the right and logical response for these Pentecost Day participants? For us? Or, for me?

“Father, we stand in awe of you and your majesty, mindful that across the centuries and including the current time, when you work, your people are sometimes just left with their mouths hanging open.”