say: this week’s episode of the story of godof+god... · say: this week’s episode of the story...

1

SAY: This week’s episode of The Story of God looked at several stories of miracles and examined

how people from different philosophies and religious perspectives define and interpret miracles. The episode explored a lot of different stories, but let’s start by taking a look at our

own stories. ASK:

What kinds of things would you describe as miracles?

Have you or anyone close to you ever experienced any miracles?

Do you feel your beliefs about miracles were represented in this episode? Why or why not?

ALCIDES MORENO

SAY: The first story in this episode was that of Alcides Moreno’s 47-story fall from a building in Manhattan. Mr. Moreno was working as a window washer at the top of a building when the

cables to his platform snapped and he fell. He miraculously survived, but his brother, Edgar Moreno, who was working with him that day, did not survive the fall.

ASK: What stood out to you about Alcides Moreno’s story and how he understands this event?

LISTEN:

[Even if it takes several students to piece together the answer, encourage your students to share their thoughts on this story. Be sure to leave enough time that everyone who wants to talk is able.]

MEMORABLE MOMENTS + QUOTES: [Remind students about specific moments in this story, and ask what they think about them.]

“Alcides fell 47 stories: 500 feet. He broke 10 bones, his lungs collapsed, he needed 43 pints of blood and plasma. He spent three weeks in a coma” (Morgan Freeman).

“A fall from just 10 stories is something hardly anyone survives. Doctors say Alcides’ 47-

story plunge was beyond belief” (Morgan Freeman). “Alcides has a hard time accepting this as a miracle, because he was not alone when he

fell. His younger brother was on this platform with him. He died the moment he hit the ground” (Morgan Freeman).

Morgan Freeman: “You think God saved you?”

Alcides Moreno: I think so—I believe that, yes.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/04/nyregion/04fall.html?_r=0

2

Morgan Freeman: “So, that makes you the miracle. But at the same time, your brother is

gone. . . . Do you try to reconcile that? Try to figure out why him and not you?”

Alcides Moreno: “Well, yes. I ask why. Why? What happened? Why? . . . God gave me a second chance. I mean to keep going—to keep going with my life. And I’m still looking

forward to find out what exactly I have to do.” “‘Why me? Does God have a purpose for me?’ Alcides wonders, ‘Why did I survive when

my beloved brother did not?’ I mean, is there some entity that makes that choice, or do we live with randomness—just pure mindless randomness?” (Morgan Freeman).

ASK: [These are some questions you may choose to ask in order to spark conversation.]

How would you respond to Mr. Moreno’s questions about why he survived but his brother did not?

Do you consider it a miracle when Alcides Moreno survived but his brother died in the same accident? Why or why not?

Did you hear anything else you agree or disagree with?

OTHER NOTES: [Use this section to take notes about any memorable moments or about anything you’d like to

ask the students to respond to.]

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PASSOVER SEDER SAY: To understand how some Jewish people interpret miracles, Morgan Freeman traveled to Jerusalem to meet Rabbi Maya Leibovich and take part in a Passover seder. The seder is a ritual

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Leibovich

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover_Seder

3

that helps Jewish people remember the events of the Passover and the miracles of their exodus

from Egypt.

ASK: What are the miracles that helped the Jewish people escape Egypt?

LISTEN: [Even if it takes several students to piece together the answer, encourage your students to

remember all the miracles of the story in Exodus. Be sure to leave enough time that everyone who wants to talk is able.] MEMORABLE MOMENTS + QUOTES: [Remind students about specific moments in this story, and ask what they think about them.]

“The month that we came out of Egypt is called in Hebrew Nissan. Nissan comes from the word Nissim, which is ‘miracles.’ It’s the month of the miracles, which will symbolize the beginning of the Jewish people and the people as an entity” (Rabbi Maya Leibovich) .

“The Passover meal is a celebration of the bond Jews feel with God, and it’s an occasion

for children to understand the foundation of their faith. The seder recounts how the Jews escaped slavery thanks to God striking the Egyptians with a series of 10 plagues”

(Morgan Freeman). “When God brought upon Egypt the 10th plague of killing the firstborn, he told the

Israelites to put blood on the thresholds of their homes, and the Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Hebrews and only took the firstborn of the Egyptians. . . . The

miracle of getting out of Egypt was followed by the miracle of the splitting of the sea. God made two miracles—one was splitting the sea before the Hebrews and then closing

it before the Egyptians. So God wants us to remember the Egyptians are just his sons as we are, so by putting drops of wine on our plates, we’re actually putting drops of sorrow that God had lost so many of his children while saving the others” (Rabbi Maya Leibovich).

“I don’t think anybody’s going to split the sea for us today. I wish somebody would bring peace to us today, but the Bible is not a book of history. The Bible is a book of ideas. The question is what can we learn from it? What can we take into our own life? It’s a way of saying thank you, you know? It’s a way of teaching the kids that every small thing is not granted—that you need to say thank you. It’s nice to have parents. It’s lovely to have a roof above your head” (Rabbi Maya Leibovich).

“I want [our children] to come out with the idea that miracles can happen. That’s the story” (Rabbi Maya Leibovich).

“The Israelites saw these miracles as proof that God cared about them. Not all modern Jews believe in the miracles of Passover, but these stories still define them as a people.

And that deep well of tradition and moral strength has sustained them—been called on by them for thousands of years—to get them through hard times” (Morgan Freeman).

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/calendar.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagues_of_Egypt

4

ASK:

[These are some questions you may choose to ask in order to spark conversation.]

Have any of you ever participated in a Passover seder? If so, what was it like? What is significant to you about the Passover seder?

What stood out to you about Rabbi Maya Leibovich’s perspective on miracles?




____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ VATICAN SAY: At the Vatican in Rome, Morgan Freeman met with Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, the head of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, to understand how the Vatican verifies the miracles of Catholic saints. Before a person can be declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, that person must either be martyred or considered responsible for performing two

miracles after his or her death. ASK: What was the most memorable thing about this section of the episode? LISTEN:

[Encourage your students to share their thoughts on this question. Be sure to leave enough time that everyone who wants to talk is able.]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcelo_S%C3%A1nchez_Sorondo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontifical_Academy_of_Sciences

5

MEMORABLE MOMENTS + QUOTES:

[Remind students about specific moments in this story, and ask what they think about them.]

“In the life of Christ, if you don’t accept the miracles , it’s impossible to understand. Each page of the Gospel is a miracle of Christ. To consider a person a saint, the church needs

a miracle” (Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo). “Unless you are a martyr, the only way to sainthood is to be deemed responsible for

performing two miracles after you die. Pope John Paul II became a saint in 2014 after

two women who prayed to him after his death claimed to be miraculously cured—one of Parkinson’s disease, another of a brain aneurism. The Vatican spends years

investigating these claims—sometimes decades. The church has a Devil’s advocate who goes, and whenever anybody claims to have seen or experienced a miracle, the church sends the advocate to investigate” (Morgan Freeman).

“[The church’s representative] has to advocate and have scientific people, special doctors, to prove that this is a special intervention of God” (Monsignor Marcelo Sánchez

Sorondo).


What do you think about the Roman Catholic Church’s process of declaring someone a

saint? Did you hear anything else you agree or disagree with?

OTHER NOTES:

[Use this section to take notes about any memorable moments or about anything you’d like to ask the students to respond to.] ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=6996

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_advocate

6

DANNY OPPENHEIMER

SAY: In order to try to understand a psychological perspective about miracles, Morgan Freeman visited with professor of psychology Danny Oppenheimer. During their conversation, Mr.

Freeman and Professor Oppenheimer talked about the probability of miracles and whether luck has anything to do with it.

ASK: What stood out to you about the conversation between Danny Oppenheimer and Morgan Freeman? LISTEN: [Encourage your students to share their thoughts on this question. Be sure to leave enough time that everyone who wants to talk is able.]



“Most of us have a turning point in our lives : a pivotal moment where you wondered how did this happen? Mine was 1989. I made three films: Lean on me, Driving Miss Daisy, and Glory. Did I make it happen? Was someone up there calling the shots? Or was

I lucky?” (Morgan Freeman).

“How rare does an event have to be before we would call it miraculous? One in a million? One in a billion?” (Danny Oppenheimer).

“Nothing I’m saying here rules out the possibility of the divine. The fact that probability

predicts certain things doesn’t mean that there can’t be divine intervention. But miraculous things that are so unlikely that you think it can’t happen by chance alone, they do happen, and they have to happen. It would be odd if they didn’t, because with six billion people in the world, there are so many opportunities for something really

unusual to happen we would expect it to happen to some of them” (Danny Oppenheimer).


What do you think the difference is between something happening by chance or luck and something happening because of divine intervention?


OTHER NOTES:

[Use this section to take notes about any memorable moments or about anything you’d like to ask the students to respond to.]

http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/marketing/faculty/oppenheimer

7

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

ANCIENT ROMANS

SAY: Morgan Freeman traveled to Rome where he met archaeologist Valerie Higgins to discuss what the ancient Romans believed about divine intervention. While they walked the grounds of

what once was the Circus Maximus, Professor Higgins explained that the Romans had a different take on miracles because they believed everything that happened was decided by their gods. ASK: What stood out to you about the ancient Roman understanding of divine intervention? LISTEN:




“Gambling—particularly on dice games—was frowned upon, because you were betting on the will of the gods. But widespread gambling began to change the way Romans

thought about fate and opened the way for belief in miracles” (Morgan Freeman).

Morgan Freeman: “How did gambling fit with the idea that your fate was already set no matter what you did—you were going to wind up the way you were going to wind up?”

Valerie Higgins: “They did very much believe that their fate was set, but you know, it didn’t make them passive. They certainly did everything they could to get the gods behind their riders.”

https://www.aur.edu/academics/archaeology-and-classics/valerie-higgins/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_Maximus

8

“So we’re here in this Mithraeum, which is kind of like the original man cave. We know they did a lot of feasting. . . . There would be priests down here . . . overseeing the feasting, ‘cause it was quite essential that you did the ritual correctly to ensure that your team was going to be successful in the Circus Maximus” (Valerie Higgins).

“Certainly we know there was a lot of cheating that went on in the Circus Maximus. They did everything they could to make things work—to make them successful—and they certainly weren’t above cheating. The fact that you were allowing the gods to decide your fate didn’t mean that you couldn’t help them along. . . . Because their idea

is that the god works for you, and that’s in every aspect of your life including—of course—your team racing in the Circus Maximus. The Romans don’t have faith—they

just follow the rituals. . . . They have fates, not faith” (Valerie Higgins).

“The ancient Romans believed that if you were good to the gods, they would be good to you. Every single event from winning a chariot race to rolling of the dice could be the result of divine intervention—a minor miracle” (Morgan Freeman).


If everything was already decided by the gods, do you think it was contradictory for the

Romans to have believed their rituals could help determine outcomes? How would you describe the difference between fate and faith?

Did you hear anything else you agree or disagree with? OTHER NOTES:

[Use this section to take notes about any memorable moments or about anything you’d like to ask the students to respond to.]

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraeum

9

DAOISM

SAY: Continuing with the idea that things might not happen by chance, Morgan Freeman met

with Jenny Liu, a fourth-generation Daoist fate calculator. Daoism is a 2,000-year-old Chinese philosophy and religion that uses astronomy to understand what they call the Dao: the ultimate

creative energy of the universe to which we are all connected.

ASK: What do you think about the Daoist idea of a life map based on the location of the stars when you were born? LISTEN: [Even if it takes several students to piece together the answer, encourage your students to share their thoughts on this question. Be sure to leave enough time that everyone who wants to talk is able.]



“Your life map lets us know where over 120 stars are located at your time of birth. These stars configure a certain energy field that impact the quality and success of your life. So in China we don’t call this astrology, actually—we call it fate calculation. It covers your

life in 10-year periods. You see from age 6 to 15 is one, 16 to 25, and so on and so forth” (Jenny Liu).

“We don’t think of an astrology chart as predestined—that it’s your only fate that’s carved in stone. We see a life map. Just like we say life is a journey, and you go on any

journey you need to have a map. There’s gonna be dead ends. There’s gonna be

multiple potholes. If you know where they are, you’re still in charge of your own car—this is just a navigation system. You can turn. If you understand how you’re connected

to everything around you, that is the miracle waiting to happen” (Jenny Liu).

“Feng Shui is based on the Daoist thought everything around us is connected. Everything is made of energy—we’re all connected through this energy. Feng is wind. Shui is water. It’s an energy that we cannot destroy or create—it’s always there. But we can divert it—

we can harness it. . . . We can ride it. . . . In Chinese we say birds do not fly—they are flown. Fish do not swim—they are carried. They are swum by water” (Jenny Liu).

“In the Chinese thought, everything is connected. Everything has a reason for why it occurred” (Jenny Liu).


What are your initial thoughts about Daoism and using astronomy to determine what might happen in your life?

http://www.liu-fengshui.com/about

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism

10

Does the Daoist thought that everything is connected make sense to you? Why or why not?

What do you think about the idea that “fish do not swim—they are carried” and “birds do not fly—they are flown”?




____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

CAIRO SAY: Morgan Freeman traveled to the Qalawun complex in Cairo to meet with Harvard historian of Islam and physician Ahmed Ragab. The Qalawun complex first opened its doors around 1285 AD as a hospital where people would seek both cutting-edge medicine and miraculous intervention from God.

ASK: What do you remember about the Qalawun Complex and the Sultan Qalawun who founded the hospital?

LISTEN: [Even if it takes several students to piece together the answer, encourage your students to share as much as they can remember about the visit to Cairo. Be sure to leave enough time that

everyone who wants to talk is able.] MEMORABLE MOMENTS + QUOTES: [Remind students about specific moments in this story, and ask what they think about them.]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qalawun_complex

http://hds.harvard.edu/people/ahmed-ragab

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Mansur_Qalawun

11

“Patients would have come in and offered a prayer of thanks for the sultan. Slowly, Qalawun himself becomes connected to the idea of healing. It’s like in this history we’re looking at the making of a healing saint” (Ahmed Ragab).

“Medicine as a whole was seen as the conduit of the will of God. So, at the end of the day, we fall sick—in part this is something that God wills, and we would only be healed through medicine, but only by the will of God” (Ahmed Ragab).

“So actually everything that happens is the will of God. . . . Centuries ago, Muslims

believed faith and medicine worked hand in hand. But can belief in divine intervention actually help medicine heal us today?” (Morgan Freeman).

ASK:


What are your initial thoughts about the Qalawun Complex? What was memorable about it?

What do you think about Ahmed Ragab’s comment that “medicine as a whole was seen as a conduit of the will of God”? Does that make sense? Why or why not?

Did you hear anything else you agree or disagree with? OTHER NOTES: [Use this section to take notes about any memorable moments or about anything you’d like to ask the students to respond to.]

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

12

TOM RENFRO

SAY: In Norton, Virginia, Tom Renfro shared with Indiana University scholar Candy Gunther

Brown the story of his miraculous healing. Dr. Brown is studying whether faith and prayer can actually improve medical outcomes, and Tom Renfro’s remarkable story brought a unique

perspective to her research.

ASK: What do you remember about Dr. Renfro’s illness and how he was healed? LISTEN: [Even if it takes several students to piece together the answer, encourage your students to share as much as they can remember about Tom Renfro’s story. Be sure to leave enough time that everyone who wants to talk is able.] MEMORABLE MOMENTS + QUOTES:


“It was in 1996—in the fall of that year—that I found a nodule on the back of my neck. Later on that fall, I found more nodules under my arm, and I sought medical attention,

and the biopsy under my arm showed that I had an unusual form of lymphoma called mantle cell lymphoma. The prognosis was very poor, and they gave me months to live

and basically told me, ‘enjoy what time you have left.’ . . . I was a physician. I knew the objective evidence that was there. I was in multi -organ failure. I had a disease that there was no medicine or cure for that would wipe this disease out. . . .

I did not have medical treatments. Not at that time. The tumors continued to progress,

and as they progressed, the people came together more and more intense with prayer. Our pastor organized a weekend prayer to where people would come and pray perhaps

even all night, and it was a remarkable time. By now, the tumors were the size of apples on my neck. My arms stuck out because of the massive adenopathy under my arms. My

abdomen was expanding. I was dying. The Lord actually spoke to me and said, ‘Now is the time to go to the hospital.’ . . .

So they started an infusion, and it was like the rock that David threw at Goliath. Before

the infusion even completed, there was something that changed in me physically. The

tumors, they became like a Nerf ball—like a sponge and very soft—and they started disappearing in front of your eyes. And all this massive adenopathy just disappeared

over the next 24, 48 hours. It was gone. . . .

The chemotherapy—it wasn’t designed to cure. No one expected the tumors to utterly start disappearing or melting. I should have died multiple times during this illness —from

pulmonary embolisms, from pneumonia, from renal failure. But I had faith. I had people

http://www.drrenfro.com/

http://indiana.edu/~relstud/people/profiles/brown_candy

http://indiana.edu/~relstud/people/profiles/brown_candy

13

that poured their words into me to encourage me, and I believe through that that God

intervened and healed me, and here we are 18 years later, me talking to you. To me, that is a miracle. It is a miracle that I’m here” (Tom Renfro).

“Instead of despair, the Lord wants us to remember, ‘I brought you all this way—I’m not gonna leave you here by yourself’” (Tom Renfro).

ASK:


What are your initial thoughts about Tom Renfro’s story?

He doesn’t mention it in his story, but why do you think he chose not to get treatment as soon as he found out he was sick?

What do you think about God using medicine to heal us? We can’t know for sure, but if Tom’s church wasn’t praying for him, do you think God

still would have healed him?

Did you hear anything else you agree or disagree with? OTHER NOTES: [Use this section to take notes about any memorable moments or about anything you’d like to ask the students to respond to.] ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

INDIA

SAY: The last interview Morgan Freeman had was with Losang Tenpa, a Tibetan monk at the

Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. Buddhists have a different understanding of divine intervention, because they believe God lives in every aspect of creation. So, in a sense,

everything that happens is considered a miracle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabodhi_Temple

14

ASK: What stood out to you about Morgan Freeman’s conversations with Losang Tenpa and the Tibetan lama?

LISTEN:


MEMORABLE MOMENTS + QUOTES: [Remind students about specific moments in this story, and ask what they think about them.]

“According to Buddhist tradition, 2,500 years ago a man named Siddhārtha Gautama came to the realization that the human mind had immense untapped powers. In doing so, he founded an entirely new religion, Buddhism. And tradition says he did it right here under this tree” (Morgan Freeman).

“Siddhārtha roamed for six years, seeking to understand the cause of suffering, until he finally came to the shade of a ficus tree and decided that he would stay right on that

spot, focusing his mind until he discovered how to end human suffering. After sitting motionless for an entire night, Siddhārtha achieved a mental transformation. Buddhists

say he became the Buddha—the Enlightened One” (Morgan Freeman). “The Buddha realized that by letting go of his desires and his attachment to the material

world, he could rid himself of suffering. For the Buddha and for generations of Buddhists after him, this freedom from attachment seems to allow a remarkable—perhaps even

miraculous—mental and physical focus” (Morgan Freeman). “You know, he was so grateful to this tree under which he’d sat and achieved this

amazing realization, he sat in this area for seven weeks, and for one of those weeks just gazing unwinkingly, they say” (Losang Tenpa).

“For Buddhists, years of mental training and showing love and compassion to others can free them from suffering. Walking around this temple, you feel like a miracle really could happen—the miracle of people being content with their lives. People getting along together” (Morgan Freeman).

“. . . We all need to care and love and respect each other. That is the source of happiness. Whoever have that, their journey’s good. Whoever not keep this in their heart, journey’s not good” (Tibetan Lama).

“What’s a miracle? I mean, flying in the sky—is that a miracle? Birds do it” (Losang

Tenpa). “We ask the mystics or the yogis, where is God? They’ll point here [the chest]—they

won’t point up there. They’ll say it’s in here. So then, if you’re being inspired by your inner god—Buddha, Christ, you know, Christian, or whatever you want to call it—maybe

then you can perform what’s called a miracle. What does this world need the most? It needs healing, right? Love. It needs reconciliation. I think that’s a miracle, and that’s the

miracle we need. We don’t need people levitating three inches off their butts, you

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lama

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

15

know, while meditating—that’s stupid. So let’s stick to the real miracle, which is to

transform the human mind, really” (Losang Tenpa). “It’s ironic that a man who wanted us to tap into the power that we all have within

ourselves is thought of as some sort of divine being. The point of Buddhism—as far as I can see—is to teach us that we’re all capable of much more than we might believe we

are” (Morgan Freeman).


Do any of you know someone who is Buddhist? If so, does this description of the Buddhist understanding of miracles seem accurate? Why or why not?

What do you think the difference is between your own perspective of miracles (why they happen and where they come from) and the Buddhist perspective described in this

episode?

In 1 Corinthians 6:19, our bodies are described as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Do you think that’s different from the Buddhist understanding that God lives in everything?


OTHER NOTES: [Use this section to take notes about any memorable moments or about anything you’d like to ask the students to respond to.] ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A SMALL SELECTION OF BIBLE VERSES:

These selections are only meant to be a quick reference of verses about divine intervention, the

possibility of miraculous events, and miracles described in the Bible. There are many different

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+6%3A19&version=NIV

16

understandings of these selections of Scripture, so be sure to review each of them in context,

using necessary commentaries and other biblical resources .

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift

or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise

or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. (Ecclesiastes 9:11) Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:1-2)

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and

outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. (Jeremiah 32:17) When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. (Matthew 8:16) Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew;

Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have

received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:1-8)

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord,

have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal

him.”

17

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with

you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will

move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:14-21) The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:26-27)

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain,

‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:22-24) I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty

or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:10-13)

Here’s a link to a list of miracles described in the Bible: http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/miracle.html

SUGGESTIONS FOR FINAL QUESTIONS: [These are some questions you may choose to ask in order to spark conversation.]

Did any of the beliefs or perspectives in this episode surprise you? If so, which ones and why?

We’ve looked at a small selection of Bible verses that reference miracles. What stands out to you in these verses? Is there anything that doesn’t make sense to you? Is there anything that makes more sense now that we’ve had this discussion?

Do you feel as if any beliefs featured in this episode of The Story of God weren’t accurately represented?

http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/miracle.html

18

In light of the stories in the documentary and the cross section of Bible verses, what final thoughts or questions do you have about miracles or divine intervention?

This discussion guide based off of National Geographic’s series The Story of God is written by Jacob Eckeberger, edited by Heather Campbell, and digitally published by Youth Specialties.

For more great youth ministry resources, visit: http://YouthSpecialties.com

http://youthspecialties.com/

say: this week’s episode of the story of godof+god... · say: this week’s episode of the story...

Documents