That saying came to mind reading today’s verses.

How “the impossible” is not.  So why are miracles not either?  Or to say it another way: if the “impossible is possible” – then miracles are no more than bigger “impossibles that are possibles”.

And if that saying has some truth, then it makes me think “impossible” is a personal judgement based on my own experience, and specific skill-set. And that for someone with different experiences and different skill-sets my “impossible” is their “possible”. There is a current UK tv advertising campaign running that theme:

“There’s a local hero for that.”

Your impossible is not mine … your miracle is not my miracle.

– – – – – – – – –

Mark 5:21-43 … “Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman”

“My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” … “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” … “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” … “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” … “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” … “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” … “Talitha koum!”

“But they laughed at him.”

Heal my daughter she is dying (the impossible we do now). Your daughter is dead (miracles take a little longer).

One healing is requested, the other laughed at.  I read these verses and ask myself:  What is the difference?

The only difference?  My perception of life and death.  My experience of life and death. My skill-set of coping with life and death.  And with it … my definition of what is possible and what is not.

Because if I am a heart surgeon … a brain surgeon … a “skill-set and experience” of defeating death – my impossible is very different to yours.   And if I am a master craftsman … a master artisan … a “skill-set and experience” of creating complexity with ease – my impossible is way different to yours.  And if my “skill-set and experience” is of the spiritual and physical having an intimate and ongoing relationship – my possible is just unbelievable to you.

“Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Despite all of that “logical stuff” … “Don’t be afraid; just believe” … is what we all say to each other in moments of trauma, panic, catastrophe, life and death:  “Don’t be afraid, I will get us out of this … Don’t’ be afraid, believe in yourself …  Don’t be afraid, I am here for you … Don’t be afraid, just believe … Don’t be afraid, have hope we can do this …”

I have no idea is these biblical verses are truth or fiction.  No proof or evidence that this actually happened as written or not.  No way of knowing if this dead human body was raised back to life (and if so why the little girl had no choice in her own living or dying).  I have no idea if the lady who, through no fault of her own, was permanently “unclean” (by religious law) and who was cast out of society (by religious law) was real or not.

But if I get caught up in that “need” for evidence and proof … for the bible to be “true and real” … am I not missing “the point” of all of this?

How different am I to the Pharisees and scribes who missed the point of all of this … who demanded (and kept demanding) proof and evidence … who demanded control (and kept demanding control) … who decided this problem was too big to control, too popular to control, too free-wheeling to control … so killed it off?

And is “that” (the stuff about Pharisees and conspiracies) all true either?

Or …

Might I be content to read yet another reflection of how I (alive and living today in 2018) still find I can live (and fear) … of how I can still include (and exclude) using “religious law” … of how I can still demand control of my “religious God and religious law”  … and how I (in reality and/or intellectually) so often prefer to kill-off any doubt (and doubters) that might challenge that control …  who challenge my definition of what is impossible or not … ?

Because isn’t all “that” what “this” is all about?

The bible lives in me and me in it if I allow.

What more “evidence / proof” than that do I want?

.