Tapestry of Faith: Miracles: A Multigenerational Program on Living in Awe and Wonder

Activity 6: Conclusions

Part of Miracles

Activity time: 5 minutes

Description of Activity

Use these questions to elicit participants’ conclusions from today’s activities:

  • Does everyone agree on what is a miracle and what is not? Must we agree in order to talk about miracles?
  • Why do you think so many different stories about the creation of the Earth exist?
  • Why do humans like to explain miracles? Does a good explanation mean there isn’t really a miracle? Does a miracle need to be unexplainable to be a miracle?

Say that one of our Unitarian Universalist Sources of wisdom is “Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life.” This means each of us can learn about ourselves, our world, and our purpose here through awesome experiences we have. [You may wish to explain “awe,” if the group skews toward younger children: When something happens that amazes you and you want to say “Wow!” or ask “How?” we call that feeling “awe.”]

Ask:

  • Can we agree that a miracle is a direct experience of mystery and wonder?
  • If each individual experiences “mystery and wonder” in their own way, are people likely to have different opinions about what is a miracle and what is not? How can we know which opinion is correct? Does it matter? Why, or why not?