Rev. Dr. Mariano C. Apilado
In the world of computers, cell phones and other communication media, there appear every day so many wonderful discoveries and inventions for communicating and transferring information through cell phones, soft ware and other discoveries that it will require extraordinary genius to keep up with every new discovery and invention.
And yet, children, including those who are too young to go to school, seem to have the smarts to comprehend and keep up with the new inventions and discoveries.
For instance recently, when I went to inquire about buying a new cell phone and asked how to operate it, I was told by the person-in-charge, “Lolo, bili ka na lang and then go ask your grandchild. Children know about these new discoveries and inventions.”
At least I know how to open a computer and click on the internet, read documents sent regularly by friends who have friends who have friends who share what they, themselves, receive or they, themselves, make because they have developed the skill and creativity to do so.
One of the documents I recently received was titled “The Seven Wonders of the World.” It is about an incident in a kindergarten class, when the teacher had asked the children to vote for what they thought were the seven wonders of the world.
After the children had voted, the teacher wrote on the white board the result: (1) Egypt’s Great Pyramids; (2) Taj Mahal; (3) Grand Canyon; ( 4) Empire State Building; (5) St. Peter’s Basilica; (6) Panama Canal; and (7) China’s Great Wall.
I noticed that of the seven wonders of the ancient world that we studied in our class on Modern Times and the Living Past, two, namely, Egypt’s Great Pyramids and the Taj Mahal monument in India, were remembered by the children.
I noted, too, that of the seven wonders that the kindergarten class voted on, only one was not constructed or built by human hands – the Grand Canyon.
The human mind, indeed, is endowed with such imagination and creativity as to be able to conceive of these wonders, translate these concepts into designs and construct the designs into these wonders of human architectural excellence.
Then the teacher noticed one pupil having difficulty answering the question. When asked, the pupil answered, “Hindi ako makapili kasi napakarami!.”
“Let us hear what you have listed and maybe we can help you,” the teacher encouraged.
The seven wonders the pupil listed were (1) to see; (2) to hear; (3) to touch; (4) to feel; (5) to laugh; (6) to cry; (7) to love.
After the child had read her list, there was complete silence in the class, every one feeling the awesome wonder of the simple things they had so often taken for granted and forgotten, but are really the seven most wonderful things in life.
I find myself agreeing with the child!
Indeed, for the child, the most precious, the most wonderful, the most awe-inspiring are neither constructed nor kept by human power.
As for me, I believe that the greatest wonder is love that became a human being in Jesus Christ who touched and continues even today to touch with love each person everywhere of whatever age so that all may know and experience the greatest wonder of all – the capacity to love.
How about you? What is the most wonderful thing in your life? What are the seven wonders in your world?
For reactions, please send to uccp_mario@yahoo.com
