Publick Occurrences, the inspiration for this little blog, was the first newspaper published in North America. Its three purposes were to, "encourage knowledge of affairs here and abroad, to combat the spirit of lying that prevails amongst us, and to document memorable providences," that is, miracles.
The belief in miracles has had a tough go of it since 1690. Perhaps only a minority believe literally in them today. Faith has always given believers hope, and hope helps sustain us in doing the work here on earth that we must do.
But hope is not just a tool with which we work. It is a good in itself. Human beings are capable of unimagineable cruelty but as Jonathan Spence has written, "...[I]n every country, too, humans have shown a love of beauty...a gentleness, an exuberant sensuality...that have cut across the darkness and filled their world with light." * There is still joy in life, and sometimes that joy is so unexpected as to seem miraculous.
I could not post this link to Susan Boyle's recital without trying to describe, with these insufficient words, what it meant to me to view it and to hear Ms. Boyle sing. I am not alone. Over 12,000,000 people have watched this miracle on YouTube, and note the looks on the judges faces as they come to realize that they are face to face with something providential.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
* The Search for Modern China. Spence. xix
The belief in miracles has had a tough go of it since 1690. Perhaps only a minority believe literally in them today. Faith has always given believers hope, and hope helps sustain us in doing the work here on earth that we must do.
But hope is not just a tool with which we work. It is a good in itself. Human beings are capable of unimagineable cruelty but as Jonathan Spence has written, "...[I]n every country, too, humans have shown a love of beauty...a gentleness, an exuberant sensuality...that have cut across the darkness and filled their world with light." * There is still joy in life, and sometimes that joy is so unexpected as to seem miraculous.
I could not post this link to Susan Boyle's recital without trying to describe, with these insufficient words, what it meant to me to view it and to hear Ms. Boyle sing. I am not alone. Over 12,000,000 people have watched this miracle on YouTube, and note the looks on the judges faces as they come to realize that they are face to face with something providential.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
* The Search for Modern China. Spence. xix
