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The Editors

The Miraculous - Sign of the Presence of God.
In a scientific and technological society miracles can be an embarrassment for they do not contravene the laws of nature but show our knowledge of the latter to be inadequate. Yet miracles (or rather, events that fill us with joyful amazement) are still acclaimed and have always been acclaimed. In such happenings the believer recognizes the marvellous presence of God. They open up another dimension of life and stimulate questions about the meaning of existence.
Probably the miracle stories in the Bible are the most familiar but there are similar stories in Greek and Roman literature and indeed in most religious traditions. According to Philostratus, Apollonius of Tyana, the philosopher and sage, expelled demons and even resuscitated a young girl. Numerous ex-voto offerings testify to miracles in the temples of the god Asklepios, whose cult was known throughout the world of antiquity as far as Jerusalem. Miracles are also attested in Islam in the context of the pilgrimages to the tombs of venerated persons. All popular religions, including Judaism and Christianity, tell stories of wonder-workers who excite admiration. Are these miracles also signs of the merciful God acting at the heart of humanity?
Fundamental to the Jewish and the Christian traditions are the miracles that accompanied the Israelites in the Exodus from Egypt and the journey through the wilderness. For both communities they are not only signs of the presence of God in the midst of his people, but of his intervention on their behalf at critical moments of history. They are proclaimed by faith but they in turn generate and sustain the faith of the worshipping communities for whom these events remain a paradigm of God's redemptive presence in the world.
The rabbis emphasize the daily miracle of life itself and this continues to find expression in the thanksgiving prayer forming part of the dailyAmidah: "We give thanks unto thee and declare thy praise ... for thy miracles which are daily with us and for thy wonders and thy benefits which are wrought at all times, evening, morning and night. . . " This attitude of wonder and thanksgiving reflects the belief that the Transcendent is present in the womb of creation and in its continuing development. The festival of Hanukkah is the specific occasion for Jews to remember and thank God for the miracles. The article by Armand Abecassis in this issue carefully draws out the meaning of the miracle of "the cruse of oil" which challenges the believer to go beyond the historical details to discern its enduring significance for contemporary life.
The miracles of Jesus form a large part of the Gospels and have assumed a great importance in Christian life. Like Professor Abecassis, Hubert Richards encourages his readers to go beyond the question of mere historicity of certain details to reach their enduring significance. This is only discernible in the personal encounter with the risen Christ. Can these stories be the means to awaken in Christians the expectation and realisation of the wonderful works of God in their own life and indeed, as H.J. Richards daringly demands, "that they work even greater miracles themselves"?
Miracle stories can be the means to evoke in Jew and Christian alike an attitude of wonder, of thanksgiving, of expectation and responsibilty.