Ian McDonald
THIS YEAR what we need is a few honest-to-God miracles. I really wish God would vouchsafe the world a definite, clear-cut, physically undeniable miracle. Then for a start it would bring even the worst people to their senses and solve the Iraqi, Palestinian, Sri Lankan, Sudanese, Chechen and all the other terrible conflicts: imagine anyone committing atrocities if that person knew - really knew for sure - that He was watching and making notes for future
reference in eternity! Gentleness would descend upon the earth.
It would, of course, be the media story to end all media stories. There is a slight chance that, in the lifetimes of some of us, journalists will get a chance to cover the first confirmed intelligence detected in space. But that will be rather run-of-the-mill: CNN news flash, continuous live coverage, interviews with the aliens, invitation to address the United Nations, movie rights - nothing to get too excited about. But an actual miracle from God Himself! That would be the
ultimate media challenge.
MEDIA WOULD COPE
Yet, I have no doubt the media would cope. "Good evening. And the main headline tonight ... religious leaders around the world believe that a miracle conducted by God has occurred." There would be reports from the newsmen who saw it, followed by a science correspondent explaining why turning water into wine is a challenge to conventional science, followed by a religious affairs reporter who, in our case, has rushed over to see Bishop Edghill ("Can you please look a bit more awestruck, Bishop?").
Then there would be a potted history of God and a 'Crossfire' kind of debate on whether the God revealed was Christian, Islamic, Jewish or some generalised universal model. A doubter or two would have to be found and, with the demise of Communism, that might be difficult. There would be any number of newspaper cartoons - possibly showing an old man with a long beard peering down on Bharrat and Robert and Rupert and Ravi and Raphael in hot dispute over who was preparing the way better.
There would be pages and pages of 'Man in the Street' interviews in which it would be revealed that between miracle and edition time the most unlikely people had discovered themselves as having been deeply religious for years.
SOLVING OUR OWN PROBLEMS
Our problems solved by a miracle! It's a nice thought and it would be an unprecedented media event. What a pity we have to come down to earth and
continue trying the best we can to solve all our problems without the aid of miracles - or, should one say, try our very best at least to prepare the ground so that miracles become possible.
And in that connection let me retell the old Guyanese joke about Vibert, or it may be Mohan, who is in dreadful financial trouble and goes to the temple to beg for a miracle: "Please God, send down a miracle. Please let me win the big lottery." Nothing happens. The weeks pass and each day Vibert/Mohan begs more insistently. After a month he is again at the temple imploring God to send down a miracle and let him win the lottery. Suddenly a big, rather exasperated, voice comes down from above. "Vibert/Mohan," it booms, "will you do me a favour? Meet me halfway at least. Buy a lottery ticket."
Ian McDonald is an occasional contributor who lives and works in Georgetown, Guyana.
