The year was 1980. The setting was the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. And the event that shocked the world was called The Miracle on Ice – the U.S. men’s hockey team had beaten the Russians, and went on to win the gold medal. Nobody expected this to happen so it was naturally dubbed “a miracle.” But was it? Was it really a miracle?

            I don’t claim to be an expert on the sport of hockey, nor do I pretend to know if God cared who won the gold medal in 1980. But having read the Bible (at least once) I think I can say with certainty that no matter how improbable that victory was, it doesn’t come under the category of the miraculous or as Divine intervention! So what does?

            First, let us be clear that we misuse the word “miracle” almost daily. When we refer to ordinary things, such as finding a parking space when we are in a hurry, an improbable finish to a game, or a sudden bit of good fortune, a “miracle”, we are certainly downgrading what a true miracle is all about. When we attribute Divine intervention to normal events we actually add to the loss of the mysterious and increase our culture’s desensitivity to God’s work in His world. (And don’t even get me started on the silliness of “seeing” holy images in walls and food and stains.) On the other hand we need to be careful to not be so “sensible” that we have decided that God doesn’t perform miracles in our day. To believe in God is to believe in One who continues to do the miraculous!

            So what is a miracle? We are mistaken, says C.S. Lewis, if we think that a miracle is a supernatural event that violates the laws of nature. On the contrary, he says, our God who created both nature and the laws of nature is the same God who enters into our world at times to “interrupt the usual course of Nature.” Thus all miracles either continue to show God’s creative power and His involvement in His world (multiplying the loaves and fish; changing water into wine), or give a glimpse of something still to come (walking on water; resurrection). Lewis continues, “In all these miracles alike the incarnate God does suddenly and locally something that God has done or will do in general. They focus at a particular point either God’s actual, or His future, operations on the universe.” Thus we have testimonies of miraculous healings, but we also have the miracle of the next heart beat. We witness the miracle of life, and the miracle of a transformed life. We have the evidence of the creation of the heavens and earth, and the promise of a new heaven and new earth yet to come. You cannot believe in God and remove the miraculous from your thinking. So as one who believes, let us point to the real miracles that happen all around us every day, and more importantly, point to the Author of the miracle!

            Our worship theme for the summer will focus on “Miracles.” From June 25 through Labor Day weekend we will be emphasizing a different miracle recorded in the Bible, not only to see what God has already done, but also what He promises to still do in our lives. Also during Vacation Bible School this year (August 6-10) both children and adults will study five of the miracles of Jesus, including His resurrection. Using the theme of “New Creation” from 2 Corinthians 5:17 (see the VBS article in this issue) we will learn from what God has already done or promised to do all that He can do in our lives today if we will trust and believe in Him.

            Our world is desperately desiring to believe in something. May we who believe in the One True God show by our lives that miracles still happen, and proclaim that the Lord of miracles desires to bring a miracle into every heart that will open up to Him.

Denis Whittet