Posts Tagged: skepticism
“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.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- DTEB, “Getting Christ and Ourselves Back in Focus” November 11, 2024“Col. 3:1 ¶ If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Col. 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Col. 3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden […]
- “Search Me!” October 27, 2024“Psa. 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24, English Standard Version) I am participating in a Bible study, and this is a prayer […]
- “Christian Speech” October 26, 2024“Eph. 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Foulkes, in his excellent commentary on the Book of Ephesians, writes the following, which I quote at some length: “29. Now the […]
- “God is in the Details” October 11, 2024“The devil is in the details.” (A general saying, often quoted by lawyers, reporters, and negotiators.) “God is in the details.” (Me, almost certainly not original.) “Luke 12:7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Jesus) God does not micromanage, but God […]
- “Grandma’s Pump” October 8, 2024When I was a little critter, I would stay at my grandma’s house for a night or two sometimes. I liked this for a lot for many reasons. One thing I liked about staying with her was that Grandma’s house was much more technologically advanced than ours was. For one thing, she had indoor water—sort […]
- “Wearing the #14 Wrong-Side-Out” October 5, 2024Pete Rose, #14, is dead. Many of the old guys with whom I play softball watched him play and appreciated him greatly. I do as well. He was one of the greatest players who ever played the game. Yes, he admitted (eventually) to betting on baseball. But many of us still regard him as one […]
- “Passing Along the Love (and a Link)” October 4, 2024Several years ago, a friend of mine put me onto a daily meditation by Richard Rohr and friends. I don’t read them all the time, but I probably should. They are good! I thought that today’s writing was especially good, and I also figured that this would be a good way to post something. I […]
- “Witnessing Versus Being Witnesses” September 19, 2024“Acts 1:1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, Acts 1:2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Acts 1:3 He presented himself alive to them after […]
- “A Bathroom Prayer for Hurting Hands” September 11, 2024A week ago Sunday, my hands were hurting so badly at church that I went to the bathroom to run hot water over my hands. Arthritis perhaps, or carpal tunnel, or general orneriness—I don’t know why my hands hurt, but they do. They have for years. So, while I was running hot water over my […]
- “Waiting and Seeking” September 10, 2024“Lam. 3:19 ¶ Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! Lam. 3:20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. Lam. 3:21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Lam. 3:22 ¶ The steadfast love of the LORD […]
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