Why don’t we see miracles today?

In our world today, there are so many challenges and needs.  Again and again, people pray for miracles, but they just don’t seem to happen very often, at least not like they used to happen…

• A large crowd of people listening to Jesus teach become hungry, and Jesus multiplies five loaves and two fish to feed all 5000 people…
• A Roman centurion’s daughter is sick.  Jesus is called, and he comes and heals the man’s daughter….
• One night, the disciples are in a boat on the lake when Jesus miraculously appears before them, walking on the water.  Even more amazing was when Jesus called Peter out of the boat to join him in walking on the water….

 John’s Gospel said that Jesus did many other signs and wonders, but they couldn’t all be recorded in this book, but these were written so that we would believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. 

 The old and new testaments are full of stories of miraculous deeds and amazing signs of God’s power.  Today, there are some people who are wondering why we do not see these types of signs and miracles any longer.  Where are the miracles that seemed so common back in Jesus’ day? 

 As we wrestle with this question, we have to explore what we view as a miracle.  Is a miracle something that defies any earthly, regular explanation?  Are miracles things that are uncommon or special, which at the same time may have some type of explanation other than the supernatural?  Are we limiting miracles to only those things that could be done by God?

 In our world today, there are many people who doubt that miracles happen at all.  In fact, they even doubt that miracles have ever happened.  This general doubt about the reality of miracles is a product of the enlightenment, and it is nothing new.   Thomas Jefferson commented in his writings on his disbelief in the miracles of Jesus, since they could not be proven scientifically.  In our world, unless we can prove something scientifically – unless we can touch it, see it, taste it, or hear it – it doesn’t exist.  This world-view does not leave much room for miracles, because at their heart, miracles are things that cannot be explained in human terms or through human means.

 At the same time, there are many things that happen in life that cannot be explained through everyday, human means.  We can attempt to find scientific explanations, but often scientific reasoning cannot explain everything under heaven and earth.

 I have personal experience of the miraculous.  Two years ago, my mother had major cancer surgery, during which, things went very wrong.  My mother started bleeding uncontrollably.  The doctors did everything within their power to save her, utilizing every technique and tool within this advanced hospital operating room, but nothing worked.  Finally, the doctor practiced basic first aid – simply having a resident apply direct pressure to the wound that was gushing blood.  At that point, in his words, all they could do was pray.  He then came out to tell us the very grim news and explain how bad the situation looked.  He came out to prepare us for her death.  However, when he went back to the OR, he found that the bleeding had stopped and she had stabilized.  The doctor had no explanation for why the bleeding stopped.  Medically, they had done everything they could to stop the bleeding, and yet it wasn’t enough.  Despite this, I spent last Saturday with my mother, eating her fried chicken, and admiring her gardening skills.

 Why don’t miracles happen today?  I believe that miracles do in fact happen today, but we don’t always see and acknowledge them.  Maybe, we experience miraculous things and attribute them to human, earthly causes (who said God could not work through humans).  At other times, there may be miraculous events happening around us and we are simply not looking for them.

 Miracles are a matter of faith.  There are all types of amazing things happening in the world around us, if only we have eyes to see them…Albert Einstein famously said, “The way I see it you have two ways to live your life: the one as if no miracles exist and the other as though everything is a miracle.”  If I had to choose between the two, I would certainly choose the latter.  I would rather believe and trust that God is good, even if I cannot always understand how God is working.

Can a Christian Have Doubts?

Can a Christian Have Doubts?

Have you ever experienced a time when you wondered why God allowed something painful to happen to you? Have you ever struggled to understand one of the mysteries of faith, like where God came from? Have you ever wrestled with some of the beliefs of our faith, but were afraid to admit that you didn’t believe the same as what you imagined other Christians believed? These are all very real challenges for people of faith, and they all lead to the question, “Can a real Christian have doubts?”

The truth of the matter is that all Christians – all people – doubt. We all have times when our trust in God is not complete. Whether we are confronted with challenges that look to be impossible to overcome or are faced with situations that we cannot understand, we experience doubt and fear. These emotions are a regular part of human existence, and in fact, they may actually be helpful.

Lord Alfred Tennyson once said,
“There lives more faith in honest doubt,
Believe me, than in half the creeds.”
– “In Memoriam A.H.H.”

Tennyson understood the important place that doubts and fears can play in our faith lives. Our doubts and fears keep our faith alive and active, growing and evolving. If we take everything as absolute fact, our faith can never grow and evolve from challenges that are overcome. We need doubts to nip at our preconceptions and assumptions, to force us to think through our faith and the reasons for it, and to lead us to rely on God and not on ourselves. Some of God’s most faithful followers and servants were people who had doubts and fears. Jesus regularly referred to the disciples as, “You, of little faith.” Later, of course, they went on to do great things. Along the way, though, they all had doubts. Doubt is a regular part of the human experience. Abraham and Sara doubted that God would give them a son at almost 100 years of age. Jonah was filled with doubts about God and God’s mission for him. The disciples in the terrible storm at sea doubted. And, famously, Thomas doubted the Resurrection of Jesus.

Doubt is a natural part of the human experience. It is healthy to question God, wondering out loud why things happen the way they do or where God can be found in various situations. In fact, these kind of doubts can help our faith, because engaging God with these questions can lead to a deeper and richer faith. Doubt becomes a problem when it causes us to pull away from God. This is why it is so important for the Christian person to have those in their lives that they can talk with about their fears and doubts. Sharing our questions allows us to work through them, without pulling away from God.
Can a Christian have doubts? Absolutely, in fact, they wouldn’t be honest if they pretended that they didn’t have any. The problem is not the doubts, but what you do with them. May God lead you to openly and honestly share your doubts. A final quote from Frederick Buechner – “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have any doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.”

Do you ever experience doubts and fears?  How have those doubts effected your faith life?  Have your doubts ever drawn you closer to God and God’s people?  Share some of your thoughts on doubt, as well as the ways that you have worked to overcome doubt before it can be too much for your faith.