“Struck with awe, they said, ‘We have seen incredible things today.’” (Lk 5:17-26) These words came from the mouths of people who had witnessed Jesus cure a paralytic. It’s a fascinating story. People brought the paralytic to Jesus on a mat. The doorway was too crowded to enter, so they lowered him through the roof. After this tremendous act of faith, Jesus does the unheard-of and forgives his sins.
Instead of awe, forgiving the sins of the paralytic provokes grumbling. Not one to be discouraged, Jesus takes it another step. He then tells the paralytic to rise, take up your mat, and go home. He does exactly this, to the amazement of the skeptical crowds. This prompted some to exclaim, “We have seen incredible things today.”
Sometimes it takes a lot to bring around a skeptical crowd. Advent is a time to lose our skepticism and look for ‘incredible things’ daily.
The photo is of two eagles who sometimes perch near my house, one of those ‘incredible things’ I saw around my home. When I was young, bald eagles were one of the first to be added to the endangered species. Their population plummeted because of the use of the pesticide DDT. I still remember the public service announcements showing first someone shooting at an eagle in the sky, and then panning over to an Indian with a tear running down his cheek. It was a memorable image for me. Seeing the resurgence of the population of bald eagles is an ‘incredible thing’, especially for a skeptic who had been convinced they were lost forever.
Seeing incredible things is not just reserved for the circumstances surrounding a miraculous healing, an astonishing recovery of an endangered species, or sighting a majestic creature like the bald eagle.
Advent is a time to see incredible things in the ordinary, to open our eyes to see God’s mighty and mysterious hand at work in all facets of life. The eternal Word was made flesh and now dwells among us. As God says through the prophet Isaiah says, “See, I am doing something new. Do you not perceive it?” (43:19)
During this holy season where we celebrate the incarnation of Emmanuel, God-with-us, it’s time to shed the skepticism, silence the grumbling, and look for those surprises you previously ignored.
Make it your Advent goal to say, each evening, “I have seen incredible things today.”
Comments
One response to “Advent: A Time to See the Incredible in the Ordinary”
A number of years ago, our family introduced a recurring discussion that leads off with “When I woke up this morning, I didn’t know that I would see….”
Over time, the usage has migrated to be a humorous introduction to recount some absurdity recently witnessed.
But, we still use this saying as an introduction to emphasize the incredible and awe inspiring.
Thanks for your daily reflections!