Inspiration | Staying in Awe | Duke Chapel
Most people probably see it from a distance as they drive up the long road. The trees stand along both sides as if lining a red carpet path to its front steps.
But we didn’t see any of that. Our driver checked in on his radio, getting confirmation on our drop-off… Something back route, something something Bryan Center. He dropped us off unceremoniously at a small bus circle in the back of campus. We didn’t get to see the castle formations from afar, and we didn’t get to see the buildings get closer as we drove up the little hill. But when I stepped out of the bus, disoriented, I was surprised to find myself already standing right next to it.
It towered over me, over everything. It was the awe-inspiring kind of structure that made you think of your insignificance and your aspirations all at once. I looked straight up at it, walking up the small set of steps, passively noting the stones in the ground and all the buildings. And all the while, my eyes were glued upward. I looked and looked with an intensity that only a first-time visitor could exhibit. I peered through the trees and up at its pointy top, so meticulously crafted. It was nothing like the brochures and pamphlets and slide shows I’d seen. It was impressive. It was beautiful. And yet immediately my pessimistic little mind turned to this thought: One day, I’m going to find myself walking right past this without a second thought. One day, even this will simply be mundane.
I ended up going to school there, Duke University, with its gorgeous Gothic architecture and the imposing Chapel that stood at the center of it all. The castles became my dorm rooms and my classrooms, and sure enough, the Chapel faded from my consciousness and became just a tall building on campus. Sad as I was to admit it, my initial amazement still wore off.
Extraordinary beauty becomes routine all the time. We are such insatiable creatures that when we’re surrounded by awesome things, we so quickly forget what it is to be in awe. Our conscious effort is our only weapon. There is so much to be in awe of, every second of every day. It takes only a second to remember what it’s like to be that young tourist who lets her jaw drop to the ground while her eyes magnetize to her surroundings. It’s a pose I try to practice all the time.
I had to dig for these photos. First, two photos from seven years ago (February, 2004). The chapel through some blossoms adorned in snow. Second, two images from 2003 in 35mm black & white film, hand developed. Left- a lamp by the Bryan Center steps next to the chapel, and right- the chapel archways.
