An Observation…

Peoples,

Here's something that occurred to me about three year's back. It still sort'a makes sense, and I continue to ponder the notions.

Miracle

© Solomon 12/7/07

In these days of celebrating a biblical miracle and the trust and hope that Winter again will melt into Spring, and bring with it renewed life and long days filled with sunshine, I’ve been thinking about that word, miracle. Here’s what Oxford’s Dictionary has to say about that word.

• noun    — ORIGIN Latin miraculum ‘object of wonder’.

1 an extraordinary and welcome event attributed to a divine agency. 

2 a remarkable and very welcome occurrence.

3 an outstanding example, specimen, or achievement.

Well, as to definition one, I’m not superstitious nor given to belief in the supernatural. I am by nature a rationalist and a bit of a scientist in my outlook on this Universe.

But, definitions two and three, more contemporary meanings of the word miracle, are ones that I resonate with. Isn’t the advent of this Universe, and perhaps countless others, the very definition of a miracle; a very fine and operational definition, at that? What could be more welcome than a Creation that is somehow is perfectly suited to our own and has set us on our own way? It created for us challenges, troubles and opportunities as innumerable as the stars and atoms in that first Creation and our own beings.

That brings me to number three. In a previous, more demon haunted world, a great bard wrote the following thought.

“What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god.”

So, I am content to honor the notion of miracles, even as I understand them differently than my ancestors and even my grandparents. I and those I love are living miracles, pretty fine specimens, living in a miracle that is, thankfully, an object of wonder.

S