The Miracle of Love

Today’s highly scientific outlook is keenly averse to the idea of miracles. Science dictates that to every effect, there must be a cause. Faith-healings are seen as nothing more than psychosomatic illnesses being made well by the mind healing the body. Childless couples finally having a baby are dismissed simply as finally having done the right things to have one. Typhoons dissipating because of prayers are explained away as some changes in the storm’s vectors to cause it to veer or even melt away.

I am usually not one who would easily believe what I see or hear but I have always believed in miracles. The biggest miracle for me is the miracle of life. In the vastness of our corner of the universe, that is the Milky Way and its neighborhood of the Virgo Supercluster, why is it that we seem to be the only place where life exists? There seems to be no real reason why there should be life on earth. A miracle. Then there is the personal question of why I even exist. There seems to be no real reason why I in particular, of the millions of sperms from my father, should be born. I am a one in a million winner in the lottery of life. Indeed, a miracle.

Then, there is the miracle of love. The law of life is self-preservation. The natural tendency of all living things is to look out for itself. And yet, why would people willingly sacrifice themselves for the sake of others? Why would a mother go through excruciating pain to give birth to a child? Why would a father slave it out to feed his family? Why are there people willing and able to give up their lives so others may live? There is no rational cause that will fully explain all of these effects. Indeed, a miracle.

Finally there is the miracle of Eternal Life. The natural order of things is that all things must end someday: autumn leaves must fall, the fire is quenched, flowers fade and people die. Thus, it was ordained in the beginning in the Garden:

Then the LORD God said: “See! The man has become like one of us,
knowing what is good and what is evil!
Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand
to take fruit from the tree of life also,
and thus eat of it and live forever.”

Then the biggest miracle happens: God became man and Love was incarnated in the flesh to give man life everlasting. Jesus turns the universe on its head and changes everything: the last becomes first, the first becomes last, life is all about serving and not making slaves of others, and death is no longer the end but the portal to eternal life.

Yes, I believe in miracles, specially that most wonderful miracle of Love.

In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
~ Psalm 90

In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat,
Jesus summoned the disciples and said,
“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
because they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will collapse on the way,
and some of them have come a great distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread
to satisfy them here in this deserted place?”
Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.”
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them,
and gave them to his disciples to distribute,
and they distributed them to the crowd.
They also had a few fish.
He said the blessing over them
and ordered them distributed also.
They ate and were satisfied.
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
There were about four thousand people.
Mark 8:1-10