“Miracles happen.” Those are the first two words of a poignant essay I read by Michael Leach, who is the emeritus editor of Orbis Books. The story is really about his wife who has dealt with Alzheimer’s for fifteen years. The miracle came in the form of Maria who hailed from the Dominican Republic. Maria was the caretaker and also the miracle maker. I enjoyed this story. Miracles are not an easy topic for me.
I have thought about them for a long time. I have read stuff about miracles---biblical studies, healing accounts and contemporary spirituality narratives. Usually the question we are asked is whether we “believe in miracles?” It seems like such a simple yes or no answer. And whichever way you answer that question puts you in a particular camp. Those of us who believe in miracles can feel like we are one up on those poor folks who don’t. And those who don’t believe in miracles can be a bit smug about their scientific sophistry and feel sorry for the archaic beliefs of our believing friends. But I never thought it was that simple.
Leach’s story has helped me immensely. Let me share it and offer some of my comments. Leach makes some pretty bold statements, but they never seem outrageous. For example, he observes that “miracles have always happened to us” and makes it sound like the sun always comes up in the morning. He makes it feel easy to believe that. But then, I wonder what has just asked me to believe?
His next sentence surprises me, since he just claimed that miracles happen to all of us. He notes, “Even this crazy Alzheimer's thing has its graces.” Whoa! He elaborates, “When we wake up at seven in the morning, Vickie laughs and speaks in tongues until about 9 a.m. when her brain starts to get tired and she slips in and out of some kind of dream.” I love his sense of humor. Maybe we need a sense of humor in order to get that miracles happen to all of us.
I move on through the essay. Leach is a good writer and as he tells us more about his wife, Vicki, it is easy to get the sense that she was a miracle-believer. And it is easy to know that she was a miracle for Leach. He has a quaint way to put it: “Truly, I tell you, I was a frog, kissed into royalty by a Cinderella.” What I am beginning to sense from his story is how important it is to understand exactly what a miracle is. Maybe those of us who have a hard time believing in miracles have mis-defined them.
Leach moves us to the place in the essay where it feels like he is going to let us in on a secret. He beckons us and says, “Now here is the best thing, the thing we all know and too often forget…” I lean in and want him to continue. Let me know! His secret is simple, but sublime. He shares that “Miracles come to everyone, to Vickie, to me, to you, without our earning them or deserving them. They just come.” He sounds very sure. I am convinced. Maybe the trick is never the question: do I believe in miracles or not? Maybe the trick is to look for them and find them. That is a different game!
I think the sublimity of the coming of miracles Leach captures when he tells us they come, but… “Never on our timetable, and never the way we plan.” Oh, so miracles have to do with our control, i.e. we are not in control. He concludes this section with the comment that seems directly aimed at me. About miracles he says, “we're so preoccupied with thoughts of what we want and how we want it and when we want it that we don't recognize them. They may as well never have happened.” So true!
We can believe miracles don’t happen because we don’t see them. Or we don’t see them the way we expected them or wanted them. Those kinds of miracles actually don’t exist. They are our illusions. I can say with pun intended, they are make-believe! Real miracles do happen; we just have to be able to see them. One way to prepare to see is to be grateful. Leach offers this insight: “Gratitude is the alchemy that lifts the scales from our eyes and lets us see the spiritual blessedness that is in our sight.”
Leach concludes by turning to what he calls the “eye of the soul,” which is necessary to see miracles. He quotes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “It is only with the heart that one sees rightly…What is essential is invisible to the eye.” Perhaps for some this is not a very good ending. In effect the ending is a faith issue. But is that not true for religion, spirituality and life in general. I like facts as much as anyone.
But in the beginning and, perhaps, at the end, it has to do with faith. Faith is what we put our trust in. God and the Spirit is one option for faith. Of course, there are many other contemporary, secular options. Some seem more believable. I know I have opted for faith in the Spirit and have faith that somehow life in the Spirit is going to give me the richest, best life possible. And if that happens, I am ok concluding it is miraculous.
I choose to believe miracles happen. It is a matter of seeing.
I have thought about them for a long time. I have read stuff about miracles---biblical studies, healing accounts and contemporary spirituality narratives. Usually the question we are asked is whether we “believe in miracles?” It seems like such a simple yes or no answer. And whichever way you answer that question puts you in a particular camp. Those of us who believe in miracles can feel like we are one up on those poor folks who don’t. And those who don’t believe in miracles can be a bit smug about their scientific sophistry and feel sorry for the archaic beliefs of our believing friends. But I never thought it was that simple.
Leach’s story has helped me immensely. Let me share it and offer some of my comments. Leach makes some pretty bold statements, but they never seem outrageous. For example, he observes that “miracles have always happened to us” and makes it sound like the sun always comes up in the morning. He makes it feel easy to believe that. But then, I wonder what has just asked me to believe?
His next sentence surprises me, since he just claimed that miracles happen to all of us. He notes, “Even this crazy Alzheimer's thing has its graces.” Whoa! He elaborates, “When we wake up at seven in the morning, Vickie laughs and speaks in tongues until about 9 a.m. when her brain starts to get tired and she slips in and out of some kind of dream.” I love his sense of humor. Maybe we need a sense of humor in order to get that miracles happen to all of us.
I move on through the essay. Leach is a good writer and as he tells us more about his wife, Vicki, it is easy to get the sense that she was a miracle-believer. And it is easy to know that she was a miracle for Leach. He has a quaint way to put it: “Truly, I tell you, I was a frog, kissed into royalty by a Cinderella.” What I am beginning to sense from his story is how important it is to understand exactly what a miracle is. Maybe those of us who have a hard time believing in miracles have mis-defined them.
Leach moves us to the place in the essay where it feels like he is going to let us in on a secret. He beckons us and says, “Now here is the best thing, the thing we all know and too often forget…” I lean in and want him to continue. Let me know! His secret is simple, but sublime. He shares that “Miracles come to everyone, to Vickie, to me, to you, without our earning them or deserving them. They just come.” He sounds very sure. I am convinced. Maybe the trick is never the question: do I believe in miracles or not? Maybe the trick is to look for them and find them. That is a different game!
I think the sublimity of the coming of miracles Leach captures when he tells us they come, but… “Never on our timetable, and never the way we plan.” Oh, so miracles have to do with our control, i.e. we are not in control. He concludes this section with the comment that seems directly aimed at me. About miracles he says, “we're so preoccupied with thoughts of what we want and how we want it and when we want it that we don't recognize them. They may as well never have happened.” So true!
We can believe miracles don’t happen because we don’t see them. Or we don’t see them the way we expected them or wanted them. Those kinds of miracles actually don’t exist. They are our illusions. I can say with pun intended, they are make-believe! Real miracles do happen; we just have to be able to see them. One way to prepare to see is to be grateful. Leach offers this insight: “Gratitude is the alchemy that lifts the scales from our eyes and lets us see the spiritual blessedness that is in our sight.”
Leach concludes by turning to what he calls the “eye of the soul,” which is necessary to see miracles. He quotes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “It is only with the heart that one sees rightly…What is essential is invisible to the eye.” Perhaps for some this is not a very good ending. In effect the ending is a faith issue. But is that not true for religion, spirituality and life in general. I like facts as much as anyone.
But in the beginning and, perhaps, at the end, it has to do with faith. Faith is what we put our trust in. God and the Spirit is one option for faith. Of course, there are many other contemporary, secular options. Some seem more believable. I know I have opted for faith in the Spirit and have faith that somehow life in the Spirit is going to give me the richest, best life possible. And if that happens, I am ok concluding it is miraculous.
I choose to believe miracles happen. It is a matter of seeing.
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