Yes. He saw the world around him through curiosity and wonder. So he did feel a reverence for the universe.
He was also a pantheist. To truly understand the context in which he meant this quote you have to try and see it from his point of view. It cannot be considered an isolated objective statement but an expression of his wonder about the world around him and a desire to understand it.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.