But that doesn't mean I don't believe in powers greater than myself or that some things are worth reverence and awe.

There are many things worth reverence and awe. The Grand Canyon. Mozart. Kindness. Machu Picchu. Clouds. Penguins. Science. Empathy. DNA.

There is no “power” greater than myself, if you mean some sort of spirit or mystical magical floating around electrons-of-the-universe sort of thing, but there are many powers greater than myself among boxers, gang members, guns, and toxic chemicals.

The world is what it is, there are natural processes that explain 96.3% of it so far, and having pulled the low hanging fruit (fire, disease, metallurgy, aeronautics, etc) it gets harder and harder to get those last bits that bring everything into focus. It was 250 years between Newton and Einstein, it might be another 250 before we have the unifying theory that explains spacetime and gravity. Or not, it could happen tomorrow.

Meanwhile I am in awe of much. Music, for example. My dog and cats have no interest, not rhythm, melody or lyrics (obviously), yet it moves the world and has throughout human history. Why is that? Why do birds have melody but raccoons do not? These are the mysteries, not some magic force in the sky that no one has ever seen, heard, or detected in any way.

Where does consciousness come from? Aye, that’s a question. Where does it go when we die? Not up on a cloud with a harp, that I’m sure of.