Merging biblical truth, witty anecdotes, wisdom acquired from years of pastoral experience, and insights gained from relationships with doubters, author and Lutheran pastor Frank Honeycutt offers atheists and skeptics a welcoming, safe place to explore Jesus’ miracles. He writes, “This is ... a book primarily written for people like ... many friends of mine who admire the teachings of Jesus but are pretty convinced that anyone who seriously ascribes to the weird stuff in the Bible is a couple steps away from admittance to a good psych ward.”
Honeycutt asks compelling questions as he draws readers into the wonder and mystery of the Bible: “Why are these fabulous stories ... included in the Bible? And why do they captivate my daily attention? Did Thomas Jefferson have it right when he took scissors to these weird tales and pasted back together a version of the Bible that seemed better suited for reasonable people with common sense? What motivates me to place ultimate trust in the mysterious power revealed in these strange narratives?”
As Honeycutt explores Jesus’ miracles, he encourages listeners to watch for “a deeper meaning below the surface of the obvious.” Taking a closer look at five miracles, Honeycutt shares general maxims that can be applied to any of Jesus’ miracles, more commonly referred to as signs in the Bible. Honeycutt asserts that Jesus’ act of turning water into wine is “a sign that points to a life filled with joy and ferment.” Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well is “a sign that points to a fully exposed, accepted, and forgiven past.” The feeding of the five thousand is “a sign that points to abundance in community where all are fed.” Jesus’ healing of the man blind from birth is “a sign that points to new sight, challenging blind certainties.” And Lazarus raised from death is “a sign that points to liberation from our great fear of death.”
Miracles for Skeptics is not a book about evangelizing or convincing nonbelievers. Rather, it focuses on the power of relationships: “Atheists and believers need one another in lengthy and lasting friendship marked with deep listening and mutual respect, not with some covert agenda to convince the other of a particular position. The Holy Spirit, as I understand Christian theology, is the ultimate agent of conversion, should that eventually occur in someone’s life.”
Recommended as a valuable gift and gentle invitation for a skeptical friend, acquaintance, or relative to come and see and dig deeper into Jesus’ miracles as revealed in God’s word. (Eerdmans)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.