The Pursuit of Wonder

Abstract

American poet Mary Oliver (2004), in her poem Mindful said, “It was what I was born for—to look, to listen… ” (35). Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1983) said, “Never once in my life did I ask God for success,.… I asked for wonder and he gave it to me” (47). Looking back over more than seven decades, mindfulness and wonder capture the essence of my spiritual and professional journey. Though having been a minister/pastor of three churches, the transition to ministry on a university campus became an exercise in looking, listening, and instruction—applying personal interests, I developed skills and theological education to an intergenerational community of people (students, faculty, staff, administration) with diverse social, economic, and religious or nonreligious backgrounds and perspectives. Following is a 30-year historical account of highlights in the establishment and evolution of the University of Richmond Chaplaincy and how my role as chaplain informed and broadened my understanding of spiritual leadership.