“THE WISE OLD MIRACLE-WORKER, AND THE YOUNG SKEPTIC”
“Miracle is simply the religious name for event.” (Friedrich D. Schleiermacher, On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers.)
The story is told of a wise old miracle worker. A skeptical young man went to the old man, and demanded, “Show me a miracle, so that I may believe in God!”
Without uttering a word, the old man planted a seed in a nearby pot. Immediately the seed grew into a tall green plant. In less than a minute, the plant had produced a lovely flower.
The young skeptic was in awe. “It is a miracle!” he exclaimed.
But the wise old miracle worker looked at the young man with compassion, though his words were stern. “Young fool!” he said, “The miracle of life, and growth, and beauty is all around you all the time. All I did was speed up the process in this one case.”
Perhaps the process for all good things is a miracle. Maybe all true beauty is an amazing thing. Maybe miracles are in the eye of the beholder—like beauty.
That was apparently Friedrich Schleiermacher’s point. If you’re amazed, an event is a miracle. I don’t entirely agree with Schleiermacher. Even if no one is around to observe an amazing thing, it is still a miracle. However, I do think Schleiermacher makes a valid observation—as long as it is not pressed too far. Miracle, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
Of course, life could be an accident, and beauty could be an illusion. However, I’ve had several accidents (automotive and other kinds of accidents as well), and I have yet to find an accident that leads to life or beauty.
I wonder what miracles will happen in my world and in yours today. I wonder if we will be aware of these miracles. Perhaps awareness itself is the one of the greatest miracles.
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