Mokattam's fame

Have you heard of Saint Simon the Tanner? I hadn't until recently as part of the information I've read on Mokattam — you see, the neighborhood I'll be in is next to the very mountain that is said to have moved because of his prayers. Click here for the full story.

I'll be honest, I was quite skeptical of this when I first heard the story. I just knew the abbreviated version: "Simon the Tanner caused the Mokattam Mountain to rise up and set back down." I'm willing to believe the miracles in the Bible because I hold it as the inspired word of God, but to me so many of these saint stories just sound like superstition. When I stumbled across the story in Wikipedia, though, it struck a different chord in me. First, the story emphasized that it was God's work and mercy, because Simon just led the group in prayer and the whole thing happened to spare the Egyptian Christians from being wiped out or expelled. Second, there is a witness of this event: As a result of the miracle, a Muslim Caliph named Al-Muizz converted to Christianity, and for him a baptismal font was built in the Church of Saint Mercurius.

I've been thinking about this story because it may come up as we get to know and relate to our Coptic brothers and sisters in the community. How should I approach or even think about things like the treatment of saints or local religious legends? While I intend not to pray to any saints or revere their remains, I think I will be careful not to reject the stories they tell outright. After all, I do believe that God does miracles, and who am I to refute the witness of siblings in Christ, especially when recorded in things like landmarks? I guess the best thing to do is to approach such subjects with open ears and a good dose of humility.