The Complexity of Miracles

We've been hearing a lot about miracles lately. The Oakland A's suddenly find themselves in a pennant race after trailing far behind in their division. So now they're the "Miracle A's." Pope John Paul II's fast-track canonization requires evidence of two documented miracles. And, within the past week, the world has witnessed miracles on land and sea: Air France Flight 358 and the AS-28 mini-submarine.

Two incredible stories. A plane skids off a Toronto runway, but none of its 309 occupants are killed. A Russian mini-submarine entangled helplessly on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean for three days is rescued with all seven crew members alive. Both of these events have been declared "miracles." If you need empirical evidence, just do a Google search of "Flight 358" and "miracle." 15,550 hits.

Miracles are elusive. Not just in their rarity, but in their definition. When we pronounce an event a "miracle," what exactly are we talking about? According to a recent report on "CBS Sunday Morning," researchers at the Mars company are developing new ways to manufacture chocolate that would retain much higher levels of flavanols, a compound found in cocoa beans and beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Think about it. Chocolate that's good for your heart. Is that a miracle? For some, miracles are that glib, that cheap.

But not for others. Italians by the thousands have streamed to the town of Accera in Naples to photograph a Virgin Mary statue that apparently has moved her legs. That is impressive. But the local bishop emeritus is skeptical, doubting that Mary would "make a spectacle of herself" in such a public way. So is that a miracle? Or is the miracle that thousands of pilgrims believe strongly enough to venture to a faraway and obscure city to pay witness?

Back to our recent miracles. The Russian submarine was saved, partly because Vladamir Putin sought to avoid the domestic and international scorn heaped upon him for failing to request help during a previous Russian naval crisis. So what is the miracle? Is it that the British rescue vessel reached the trapped seamen before their oxygen expired? Or is it that a powerful politician (implicitly) acknowledged error and learned from his mistake? Or is it something else?

Finally, Air France Flight 358. An even clearer example of a miracle. 15,550 Google hits say so. Even Canada's transportation minister said so. But is it a miracle at all? Reports seem to unanimously praise the flight crew and passengers for their calm resolve in exiting the craft. The crew apparently was well-trained in procedures for swift evacuation under such circumstances. Also, aviation experts cite very high survival rates for runway plane accidents. So does preparation + percentages = miracle?

On the other hand, although no one was killed, one internet poster, a plane crash survivor himself, warns the Flight 358 survivors to expect "years of post-traumatic stress disorders, panic attacks, and fear of flying phobia, perhaps for the rest of their lives." Also, on Friday, one Flight 358 passenger filed a $62 million lawsuit against Air France and the Toronto airport. Can a miracle be sued? Can a miracle have a dark side? Should a miracle have a dark side?

The need for miracles is understandable. But seeing them everywhere dilutes both complex human experiences and the rare, true miracles that do exist.