Fatima – TYPiNG ouT oF THe BLue

A reflection on faith and forgetfulness

Through the centuries, heaven has found ways to reach us—sometimes through visions, sometimes through tears, sometimes through silence that feels louder than thunder.

Mary appeared to children, to shepherds, to crowds that numbered in thousands. The sun danced, the sick were healed, the unbelieving were stunned. And yet, after all those miracles, the world somehow stayed the same. We still fight. We still lie. We still forget to pray. But heaven doesn’t stop trying.

At Fatima, Portugal in 1917, people dropped to their knees when the sky spun and the sun seemed to dance above them. Thousands witnessed it, from farmers to journalists, and many walked home changed—at least for a while.

In Zeitoun, Egypt from 1968 to 1971, Mary was seen as a luminous figure above a church roof. Christians and Muslims stood together, speechless under the same sky. No words were spoken, just light—and in that silence, faith found a way to unite. Yet even then, many treated it as rumor or illusion. The light faded, but not all hearts stayed awake.

In Kibeho, Rwanda in 1981, Mary appeared to young students, warning of suffering and violence to come. Thirteen years later, in 1994, the Rwandan genocide happened exactly as she foretold. But even after the warning came true, not everyone turned to faith. Some doubted, others forgot. Still, a few found the courage to forgive—and maybe that was the real miracle.

In every place where Mary’s face appeared, at least one soul decided to change—and maybe that was all heaven needed. Because not all miracles are meant to amaze us. Some are meant to awaken us.

The real miracle isn’t the sun that danced. It’s the person who chose to forgive. It’s the skeptic who prayed again. It’s the quiet heart that finally listened.

Heaven doesn’t need everyone to believe. But maybe one day—when the world grows quiet enough—everyone finally will.

And until that day comes, we keep walking, forgiving, and believing—Under the Same Sky.