Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus came to reshape human society and create a new order in the world – the reign of God. These miraculous healing are signs of what Jesus came to accomplish.

Jesus isn’t showing off his power. Nor is he scrambling to go around and heal every sick person in the world. e is preaching through signs that show what the reign of God is like. He is showing people the future and calling them to be part of bring it about.

Even though I can’t preform miracles, I can join in the Lord’s work through acts of kindness, forgiveness, peace. These actions change the world (and me) for the better, and are signs that reveal the reign of God.

Christmas is three weeks away. There is a spirit of friendship in the air that actually makes it easier to reach out to others. No one would think me strange if, out of the blue, I “miraculously” touched another person’s life with a simple note, a Christmas card, a phone call, a visit, a small gift, a word asking forgiveness…a word giving forgiveness.

It’s in the air, there for the asking.