By P Chong                   Thurs 1 April 2010

With the storming news of Da Vinci Code and other controversial religious writings, it is timely to take a look at the above topic.

Believe it or not. Fact is often stranger than fiction. Fiction is composed through human imagination without any relevance to happenings in real life. It’s often wild and unbelievable. Fact, however, is truth, with its basis on actual happenings in life. Yet, often we choose not to believe a fact if it’s strange and mysterious and are led astray to believe as fiction instead.

The Bible is full of mysteries and intrigues. They are strange but true. But do we choose to believe? Whatever we believe and whatever justification or rationalization we may have for not believing, a fact is a fact. It stands tested through the passage of time without change or camouflage or gimmick in order to attract attention to it. A fact needs not be proved. It stands supreme and at times exists without human understanding, for the simple reason our human wisdom is limited by our finite mind. God however is infinite and almighty.

A point of fact must however be stressed here. We human being tend to accord more credibility to what we read in the daily newspaper than the Bible. It does not stand to reason to believe all the garbage that is often dished out to the reading public with its fill of sensationalism! Hot gossips and sensation sell papers and therefore it’s good for business as far as the world of journalism is concerned. Publicity, free or otherwise, is good for the bottom line in the business account. Is human life so boring that we need to seek after escapism in the thrills and spills of sensationalism in the world of make-believe?

Neither consideration nor responsibility is accorded to the moral question of good or bad. By and large in the business world, what counts is the bank account. Excitement is the key upon which is based the premise of advertisement. Excitement creates happenings, and so be it!

All miracles are astounding and fascinating. But the miracles Jesus performed were not supernatural sideshows. They were intended to confirm God’s faithfulness among his people. Moreover, those who were healed or delivered from oppression often had to display faith. With disbelieving audiences, no miracle is possible. Faith is the catalyst that brings about possibility out of impossibility.

In John 2:1-11, we read of the miracle during the marriage feast at Cana in Galilee when Jesus turned water to wine, symbolizing the beginning of His ministry.

It’s a known fact that good wine mellows with age. But one hot day in the little dusty town of Cana, the wedding host ran out of wine even before the party had run its course. Indeed it was a serious indictment and blunder. Jesus and His mother Mary were among the invited merry guests. With a maternal concern for the host, she entreated Jesus to do something.

What could Jesus do? In fact, He protested to His mother that His time has not yet come- which statement in itself is mysterious. What added to the mystery is the fact that Jesus simply told the house servants to fill six stone jars with fresh cool water. That was all. The water turned out to be the best wine ever!

Yet more exciting stories can be found in the Bible. Utterly amazed and perplexed, three thousand coverts were added to their number on the day of Pentecost. The violent wind, the tongues of fire and the languages were all mystifying. Such was the power of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Such an awesome display got the attention of the 3,000 that day who joined the little movement and marked the birth of the church, which today claims the one billion mark throughout the world.

Yes, the Bible has more than its fair share of excitement. Yet, like the doubting Thomases that we are, we choose not to believe. Its great spiritual treasures of amazing stories, astonishing miracles and intriguing facts have endured through the test of time. Till today, modern scholars and scientists have not been able to provide any logical and natural explanation for the happenings contained therein.

Believe it or not. It’s true. You need to summon every iota of faith to believe and trust in God. That is the only way.