Departures: Miraculous

rainbowA few days ago, I saw a rainbow.  Probably the most vibrant rainbow that I have personally ever witnessed (the image doesn’t do it justice).  Not a particularly unusual occurrence, but what made this sighting noteworthy is that it appeared before the rain.  This departure from the norm made me take notice, beyond what I would have ordinarily.  Things that diverge do that – they pull our focus, and perhaps inspire us to think of things in a way that we otherwise would not have.

The Oxford Dictionary offers the primary definition of a miracle as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency”.  The secondary and tertiary definitions, too, contain the concepts of “extraordinary” and “amazing”, as though in order to be miraculous, something must be a departure from the ordinary.  But what of the everyday? What of the myriad occurrences that happen moment to moment in the world?  The events that we have become accustomed to experiencing in our days?  If viewed from a perspective of wonder, can these not also be considered miracles?  Must a miracle be “inexplicable”?

That I know the scientific explanation for why the rainbow appears doesn’t make its presence in the sky any less a miracle.  Just as knowing the biological facts of how babies are conceived doesn’t lessen the miracle of their birth.

If we honor even that which we consider mundane as miraculous, we heighten our appreciation of everything, and of our connection to everything.  Miracles are all around us at every moment.  Earth, sea, sky… chipmunk, pigeon, dog… me, your neighbor, you…

As you honor the miracles that are everywhere, don’t forget to count yourself among them.  As you appreciate the miracle of the rain or the rainbow, see your own essence in them.  And remember to honor the miracle that is You.

~ Christiana

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