The Web of Wellbeing – where the story begins

I’m a Kiwi, born in New Zealand/Aotearoa, and while I’m of European heritage, my early work life was spent in a Maori educational environment. So, for non-Kiwi readers, Maori are the indigenous people Europeans encountered living throughout New Zealand in the last two hundred and fifty or so years. They first arrived here around 700 years … Read moreThe Web of Wellbeing – where the story begins

A new web: The Web of Awe

This morning, I was out walking the dog in our local sports park.   

And, as happens on a longish walk, my mind wandered.

I was musing on a talk and presentation I went to in December, a month or so ago, in a massive stadium.  It was by Professor Brian Cox, titled, “Horizons – a 21st century Space Odyssey. ” So, the topic was the Universe… how enormous it is, black holes, the big bang, evolution of life on earth, the JWST (James Webb Space Telescope), is Earth the only place life as we know it exists, etc.

Two things stood out for me.

One, the massive high resolution screen which featured behind the relatively tiny human presenters.  It was the biggest, clearest screen I’d ever seen, and it featured, of course, brilliant new images from the JWST of previously unseen parts of the Milky Way.

Two, as the presentation came to a close, the fact that someone as deeply informed about the universe as Brian was in AWE of what he sees in his daily work.  Not just amazement, not just “wow!”  But actual awe, faced with the extraordinary beauty and “incredibleness” of it all.  Frankly, if he’s started talking about “God’s creation,” it wouldn’t have been out of place, such was his reverence!

Then, back to he present and the thought came, “Aha, another Web to add to the Webs of Life:  the Web of Awe.

So, now we have three 🙂

I’m thinking most of the items in this new Web will be from the natural world, where I find “awe-inspring” images and concepts on an almost daily basis.

Watch this space.