Seeing Miracles
/I have talked with quite a few people this month who are feeling anxious about the holidays, grieving the loss of loved ones, or overwhelmed by the pressures they feel coming at them from many directions.
Sometimes in our stress and pain, we forget to notice the daily miracles all around us.
In the faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, miracles are the foundation of our faith stories. In the sacred texts of each of these faiths, you will find many stories of God's miraculous activity among humanity.
Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of a very small amount of oil in a menorah (expected to last only for one night), burning for eight miraculous nights. This is especially significant because this menorah was on the altar of the reclaimed temple in Jerusalem. This was a sign to the Jewish people that there was hope for them after they had been deeply persecuted and their religion outlawed by a corrupt king. These events occurred in the 160's BC. Judaism is the faith Jesus practiced his entire life. The miracle of oil and rededicating the temple is what Hanukkah honors.
Christmas celebrates the miracle of Jesus' birth in a manger to a teenaged unwed girl. The greatest teacher of compassion came into the world through a woman to whom society showed no compassion. Christmas celebrates light coming into the world, in the form of Jesus, to push back the darkness of corruption, hatred, eliteness, and arrogance. Jesus performed countless miracles in his 30 years of ministry and died at the hands of Romans who viewed him as a threat to their empire. In the days of darkness and despair following his death, he appears multiple times to his disciples assuring them that his spirit lives on and will be present with them all of their days.
In Islam's founding story, Hagar and baby Ishmael have been banished to the desert by Sarah and Abraham. After days without food and water, and facing certain death, Hagar sees an angel in the valley and then water appears from a spring and saves the lives of Hagar and Ishmael. This water still flows today in a well in Mecca. This miracle is foundational to Muslims believing that Ishmael is the first and chosen son of Abraham. Muslims, Christians, and Jews share these stories of Abraham. Same Abraham. Same God. These three faiths are called the Abrahamic religions. We share our beginnings with one another. And, we share the belief that God is an active presence in our lives today.
Sometimes we all just need a reminder that what we are celebrating is a miracle.
How we celebrate can be overdone sometimes or highly commercialized, and induce stress, loneliness, and pain. But, what celebrating a miracle is all about is that in our times of darkness, persecution, and drought, we remember that there is hope and it often shows up in unexpected ways.
As waves of stress overcome you, take a deep breath, and remember the miracles of nature all around us, our complicated human bodies, gravity that never fails us, and that we all share the air we breathe. These are indeed miracles. We are surrounded by miracles. It is our job to pay attention. As Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
You, my friend, are a miracle and I love you. Thank you for reading these emails and following my work. If you are new to these emails, I will re-introduce myself next week and we will get started on a new year of mindfulness, compassion, and kindness practices together.
Sending you love,
