In his classic book, All I Really Need to
Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Robert Fulghum
offers his famous list of the “things he learned in
kindergarten.” His argument is that these are
things that also apply—or that should apply—to
adult life. In that list he writes about sharing and
fairness. He mentions kindness toward others and
kindness toward self. He writes of personal
responsibility and forgiveness. He speaks of
cleanliness and compassion. All of these, he rightly
states, we typically learn in kindergarten. All of
these we should also continue to practice as
adults.
My favorite item on his list is this: “Be
aware of wonder.” It is far too easy in life to miss
out on the amazing. As people who live in an
incredibly advanced and modern world, there
seems to be little that surprises us anymore. We
can now do just about everything we “need” to do
in our world on a 3×5-inch device. Based on a
world-aligned view of life, and the extraordinary
technological process that humankind has made,
there exists little room for wonder.
Yet God is still God. Our God is moving
and working and creating. He makes broken and
lost people into his righteous children. He
continues to save and redeem and provide.
Forasmuch as “modern technology” is able to do
and make and wow, God remains faithful in doing
what humanity can never do—that is, humans can
never transform a person more and more into the
likeness of the God who created life. Only God can
do that. And he does so willingly and joyfully,
because he desires above all else that we be near
him.
The God whose power and love and mercy
and grace and compassion are unknowable
continues to work to change us so that we may be
in companionship with him. That alone is a source
of wonder. –Ricky
