Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Personal Signs

There is a general suspicion of "signs" in the Church. At the same time, I think that God graciously gives people signs which only they can understand. This much seems certain -- He gives people signs to which only they respond, even if they did not recognise them -- which lift their spirits or change their path. However, beyond that, I think that God does give people signs which only they can see. One finds it in the Bible. I have a friend who lost his wife, through long and slow decline. He told me that God had sent him extraordinary signs of encouragement. He described them to me in detail. I can say this: I have never had those same signs, which he had again and again. I reminded him of it long after, but then he seemed embarrassed. OBSERVATION: The core question is, are specific signs of God, or are they human imagination at work? Or worse. And how would one tell the difference?

No comments: