Christianity is supernatural - from first to last
Christianity is supernatural through and through.
It is founded on a miracle - the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
It requires a miracle for anyone to be converted to Christ: faith is a supernatural gift, the new birth is a supernatural change of heart.
Christians believe God was the author of the universe, not the trinity of chance + natural law + time.
The Bible says that the world will end supernaturally - not naturally.
Followers of Jesus are kept safe by God's mighty power every day, indeed every moment of every day.
So if miracles can't happen, Christians are in a pickle.
A reigning paradigm in the west?
A common view in the West - whether it reigns I know not - is that science has disproved the miraculous.
Or perhaps rendered those who believe in them philosophical cavemen.
The logic runs along two assumptive tracks:
Assumption 1: we know that the physical world runs by laws. Everything that happens from the 'movement' of electrons in an atom to the motion of the planets around stars runs according to known laws.
Miracles can't happen because they would require either the suspension of those laws or the breaking of them.
So for example, walking on the sea of Galilee breaks or suspends the law of gravity.
Assumption 2: the universe is 'closed.' By which it is meant that the only entities which can affect other entities in the universe are found within the universe. Nothing "outside" affects "inside."
Miracles require that we posit "outside" entities (God, Satan, angels, demons) to act upon "inside" matter. (Whether we should consider God as an "outside" entity is considered below **)
So on two accounts at least - the behaviour of entities to respond in known ways by known laws, and the idea that the universe is closed - miracles are deemed impossible.
What is a Miracle?
So what is a miracle? Let's start here.
First, they are rare events - that's why they are so remarkable, why they stand out. If miracles were an everyday part of our lives, we'd call them nature.
Secondly, miracles suspend, substitute or break the normal laws of nature.
Normally we can't walk on water, but Jesus can and does.
Normally, it takes water, a vineyard, time and a winery to make wine. But Jesus can shortcircuit the whole process and turn water directly into wine instantly.
The laws of nature are God's ordinary modus operandi, his normal way of running his universe, miracles are God's unusual ways.
(We should say here that what we call the normal laws of nature - are anything but normal, according to Scripture. Sustaining the universe every moment of every day is the supernatural power of the Son of God. Nature is in point of fact Supernature. So a miracle is God merely substituting Supernatural Mode Normal with Supernatural Mode Miracle.)
The third thing to say about miracles is that they are always purposeful, often with symbolic significance. Jesus turns a small meal into a banquet for thousands - meaning he is able to satisfy the spiritual needs of the whole world as the bread of life. Tales about Jesus showing off his miraculous powers as a child to his mates are just that - tales. No miracle in the Bible is ever 'for fun.'
Finally, since miracles are generally speaking local and small-scale, the rest of the universe is unaffected. Healing a blind man in Palestine does not affect the weather on Mars.
Why miracles can certainly occur according to science
First, there is no evidence that the universe is closed. It is a working assumption required for science to function, but it remains completely unproven and unprovable.
From day to day, scientists assume that angels are not randomly 'interfering' with the behaviour of molecules; they assume that demons are not altering the orbits of planets. God's universe runs by the divine set of laws we call natural. It's a reflection of the faithfulness of God.
But, interestingly, there is not a single theorem of science which can prove this assumption! There is no good reason to believe that the universe is closed. Why would one assume this? Scientists need this working assumption in their experimental work, but why should anyone assume that the universe is impervious to the action of a God?
Second, there is no way to detect a past miracle. Since miracles are rare, their influence in the ocean of creation is but a small ripple long dissipated, leaving no lasting trace, just the fact and its significance.
In the third place, however, modern miracles are provable. There is no such thing as a modern miracle that can offer no physical proof. If a healing takes place today, for example, then before and after medical reports will reveal the change.
And there are many examples of modern miracles (see the Two Volume "Miracles" by Craig Keener).
Science offers no hiding place for unbelief
In other words, there is not a line in science that says "miracles cannot happen." And thus science offers no hiding place for unbelief.
In the everlasting attempt of men and women to hide from God, science has proven to be a convenient modern fig leaf.
But science offers no cover. Miracles have, can and do happen. And many scientists past and present have felt the almighty power of God in their minds, hearts and lives.
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** Is God an "outside" entity? The very question is borderline blasphemy. Because Scripture insists that God is very much "inside" his universe, sustaining it by the word of his power. Indeed in him we live and move and have our being and nothing exists without the Word. There is nothing natural about quarks or electrons, molecules or galaxies. If God were to withdraw his influence from his universe it would disappear in an instant.
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