Miracle Messenger

I was asked an interesting question by a student of mine. He asked, "Where have the messengers, prophets, miracle workers gone? I always hear stories told from the past of all these magical occurrences, but nothing today. Why?"

Taking into account the mythopoetic aspect of any historical story, it really makes you think. We can always assume that Adam (A.S.) didn't eat the apple, or that Noah (A.S.) didn't REALLY have an Ark. We can always assume that Abraham (A.S.) didn't even try to sacrifice his child, that Moses (A.S.) didn't actually part the Red Sea, that Jesus (A.S.) didn't walk on water, that Prophet Muhammed (A.S.) didn't actually meet with God. Where would that leave faith and belief? That's the point actually... if in today's world I saw a person who was able to perform miracles, who was able to heal others with a touch, walk on water, part oceans with a prayer, what would I say? I would ask, "Wow... so what's the trick?"

We look for tricks and techniques in today's world, because if another can do it... so can we! This cynicism means that faith can be overshadowed. It is in my life at least and that's quite a sad proposition. If we let go of our cynicism for a minute and assume that a Saint from the past was here, alive among us today... would they necessarily reveal what they can do? I don't believe that they would. The stories of the past, the miracles of the past are never about self-promotion, they aren't about selfish actions. Miracles of the past would have been a way to express devotion, a way to express humility, and to act as a memorable example for generations and civilizations to come.

Today we still speak of actions that may or may not have been performed by those of millennia past. That says something about what was achieved. If I was to part the red sea today, I would make the media headlines and be remembered... for a week? A month or a year maybe? Look at the tremendous destruction wrought in Haiti in January. How many of us still think of and pray for those people?

Maybe miracles do exist, maybe they don't, maybe they did exist, maybe they didn't. I for one, choose to believe. It is my sincere hope and prayer that all of you will always pick faith over cynicism.