"Do YOU believe in miracles?" exclaimed shocked announcer Al Michaels at the end of the 1980 Winter Olympics hockey match, after the US rag-tag assortment of college players defeated the 4-time reigning champion Soviet team. Was this really a miracle? An underdog long-shot for sure, and with sports and national passion aflame, that heart-stopping ending certainly felt like one.
Faith themes do balloon before us when the big game or other important life issues are at stake. I mean who among us hasn't silently, or overtly in the heat of the moment, prayed for just the perfect outcome?
We've reserved the idea of miracles to a last resort scenario, backs against the wall, with our hopes and dreams on the line. It's also an interesting blurring of the lines between the spiritual and secular. As someone once quipped (probably me), there are way more than a few newly reformed atheists on their deathbed.
But is all this the right way to live? I mean, has our western independence and self-sufficiency kept us at a bargaining, "pact with God" level of relationship - when all other hope is gone? It's even a cultural cliche´, displayed in books and movies: "You know God, I've not always been at my best, but if you come through for me just THIS time, I promise ..." Not sure if any of that has actually increased my (I mean our) odds.
Miracles come with a high cost and should not be treated like 3 wishes from the genie in the bottle. They should remain holy and divine. But in Jesus' time on the earth, they were also sandals-in-the-dust, everyday tools. Sure, his amazing acts demonstrated love and compassion, but they were also teaching moments, with a faith component attached. Not just believe in THE MIRACLE, but believe in Jesus, and enter into and stay in relationship with him and the Father.
How many of us would thrive in or even want to be in a one-sided, superficial relationship? A rhetorical question for sure, because the answer is obvious. Just like our earthly parents, God birthed us, raised us up, taught (and is teaching) us many great life lessons. He also loves to act on our behalf and certainly will bless us with wonderful gifts. But like our earthly relationships, it's all about connection. He deeply desires our company. In cultural-speak, he wants to be there for us. But he also wants us to be with him!
Yes, miracles are as exciting as gazing up at Yosemite's lofty granite towers, but after the adrenaline rush ends, there's still the day-to-day living and relating to our Father. All these subtle moments add up to wholeness. Their sum total is the real miracle.
About the Author
Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.
He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.