My Numinous Moment, by Gayle Fitzgerald
Driving by UUFR on Wade Avenue one day, Bob and I were surprised to find a big truck in front of the church and men busily running about. “The wall” had arrived! “The wall” is the one that stretches across the stage in the Sanctuary. Its purpose was two-fold: (1) as an aesthetic to soften the look of the rock wall behind it; and (2) as a utility to help improve acoustics and create a space to store equipment. Besides, it was beautiful. The wall had been ordered months before but wasn’t delivered until then. With its installation, Bob and I were finished with coordinating the building project. We breathed a sigh of relief and drove on.
Coincidently, on the same evening that the wall was installed, a concert was to be held in the new Sanctuary. The concert’s purpose was to raise money for victims of the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The earthquake and tsunami were one of the deadliest disasters in recorded history. An estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries were killed. Many more were left injured and homeless.
The concert consisted of a French Horn and Cello. That’s all. We arrived early. We sat in total silence, overwhelmed by the beauty of the Sanctuary and the coincidences of the day. The overhead lights had been dimmed, and everything in the room was enveloped by a soft glow. The French Horn and Cello started playing. I was speechless. Tears filled my eyes. I was transported to a place of total comfort and peace. It was my numinous* moment at UUFR.
*According to Merriam-Webster Numinous: Numinous and Supernatural
Numinous is from the Latin word numen, meaning “nod of the head” or “divine will” (the latter sense suggesting a figurative nod, of assent or of command, of the divine head). English speakers have been using numen for centuries with the meaning “a spiritual force or influence.” The meanings of the adjective include “supernatural” or “mysterious” (as in “possessed of a numinous energy force”), “holy” (“the numinous atmosphere of the catacombs”), and “appealing to the aesthetic sense” (“the numinous nuances of her art”).
