Sublimity versus Simplicity

"Sublime objects and scenes in contrast to those which are simply beautiful are ones which are in some way hostile to the human will. They threaten with their immensity or power: black thunderclouds, huge bare crags, a river rushing in torrent—all these can be sublime. The aesthetic experience of the sublime is achieved by consciously detaching yourself from the world, lingering pleasurably over what would otherwise be terrifying.” -Schopenhauer from The World as Will and Idea

"We look for visions from heaven, for earthquakes and thunders of God's power, and we never dream that ll the time God is in the commonplace things and people around us. If we will do the duty that lies nearest, we shall see Him. One of the most amazing revelations of God comes when we learn that it is in the commonplace things that the Deity of Jesus Christ is realized." -Oswald Chambers

"So He said, 'Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'" -1 Kings 19:11-13

Quiz time! hahaha!

What's the common theme?

I suppose you'd have to be inside my head to answer...which is just a shame for you, because truly this brain is a lovely field of wildflowers.....erm, yeah. Anyway, it is quite possible for me to get so wrapped up in sublimity that I miss simplicity. I wander around, bored and void of feeling, waiting for something big. Well, shock of all shocks--it didn't come to me in a big slap this time. Realizing what I wasn't understanding before came on more like a slow "Duuuuuuuhhhhhh."

I don't feel too idiotic, because the slow duh is a lot better (and much gentler) than the falling from a cliff crisis that sometimes follows chinks in the ol' faith armor.

By the way, does anyone know how to get boys ages 5 to 8 to stop poking/wrestling/punching each other? I don't get these kids that I teach on Sunday mornings. Our brains don't connect on any educational level whatsoever. This is much more highly entertaining than my complaining makes it out to be. Maybe I could insert subliminal messaging into the teaching times. They can wrestle and I'll chant a Biblical truth for an hour. Then when they think about wrestling, they'll think about truth as well! Am I getting the logistic of subliminal messaging wrong? Probably. It's a good thought at least.