Miracles

Miracles have always fascinated humans. In religious communities miracles generally have a central place. In the Catholic church miracles are very important. One of the prerequisite for Sainthood is proof of a miracles. In some religious traditions the leaders refused to produce miracles, such as Sikhism. In Islam also the founder is not believed to have performed a miracles – accept for the journey to heaven But Jesus’ miracles are recognized and appreciated in Islam. Many of the Gurus in India are popular because of their power to perform miracles.
I am not critical of miracles. I admire and appreciate them. Life itself is a miracle and also full of miracles. Jesus is known to have performed many miracles. In all he performed 37 miracles. Most Christians take them on face value. Many do not put great emphasis on them. I admire them for two reasons. First, because I have no reason to disbelieve them and second, and most crucial is that virtually all his miracles were to meet a human need. He cared for people and felt for their condition. In the din and noise of a huge crowd, he heard the feeble voice of the blind man of Jerico. He felt people’s hunger and miraculously provided food. He cured lepers and even TOUCHED THEM. To me touching was even a greater miracle than healing them. In those days and even now the lepers are not even allowed to live in cities.
Some of his miracles were to expose the futility of rituals when a human need was ignored. He did not have to heal the man with a withered hand on Sabbath( A Jewish Holiday when no activity apart from worship was not permitted ). It could have done on Monday or any other day of the week and there would be no trouble or fuss. But he wanted to show the shallowness of empty rituals. So the miracle was done intentionally on Sabbath. Sabbath is not more important than a human need.
Anything done selflessly and to help others is a miracle. Bhagat Puran Singh, Mother Teresa, Satyarthi and many others did this. Even we occasionally have the power to perform a miracle.