Thursday, July 17, 2008

It's a miracle!

Robin recommended the book Peace Like a River. I started it today and three pages later fell in love with this excerpt:

"Let me say something about that word: miracle. for too long it's been used to characterize things or events that, though pleasant, are entirely normal. Peeping chicks at Easter time, spring generally, a clear sunrise after an overcast week--a miracle, people say, as if they've been educated from greeting cards. I'm sorry, but nope. Such things are worth our notice every day of the week, but to call them miracles evaporates the strength of the word."

Gee I wish I could write like that!
In case you are wondering what the rest of the thought is on miracles, here you go:

"Real miracles bother people, like strange sudden pains unknown in medical literature. It's true: they rebut every rule all we good citizens take comfort in. Lazarus obeying orders and climbing up out of the grave--now there's a miracle, and you can bet it upset a lot of folks who were standing around at the time. When a person dies, the earth is genereally unwilling to cough him back up. A miracle contradicts the will of the earth."

I just love it.

4 comments:

Robin said...

I love it so much!

Anonymous said...

sounds like a good read.

arlene,
Bainbridge Island florist

Wilkinson Family said...

I am putting this book on my to read list...Thanks

Ape said...

sounds good....you will have to tell me how it turns out. I am so glad you are back at the good old uw.
:)