Miracle of the Toothpaste Tube

Most of us are familiar with the miracle of the loaves and fishes recorded in the New Testament according to Mark . Skeptics point out the improbability of such a feat and chalk it off as one more reason to discount the scriptures; however, faith separates believer from skeptic.

“And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.”

Now fast forward to present day and I give you the miracle of the toothpaste tube. For the skeptics I’ll give you a few moments to regain a semblance of composure, get rid of that smirk; that’s close enough. The faithful already know what I’m about to propose.


You get home from the grocery store with a brand new box containing a tube of toothpaste, its cap secured and the tube’s surface pristine and inviting. Order in the world has been restored; you can brush your teeth for quite awhile knowing your supply is in abundance. After a week or so the tube becomes compressed, its patterns indicate someone presses from the bottom while others squeeze from the top. The image provided no longer matches the picture in the advertisement. You brush your teeth, just not as thrilled when you squeeze a glob onto the toothbrush.


Here’s a mystery scientists are unable to explain. How does that last bit of toothpaste, the miniscule portion trapped just below the cap in a seemingly empty tube; how does it continue to provide sufficient amounts of the treasured formula, enough to extend far past reasonable expectations?


Tevia, from Fiddler on the Roof, would have said, “I’ll tell you…”, his booming voice filled with confidence followed by a pause, “…I don’t know”, sheepishly admitting his limited knowledge of the infinite. He would have pulled his shoulders together, smiled weakly and cast his eyes toward heaven in quiet gratitude for the blessings we share.


Scientists claim the universe was the result of a Big Bang. They cover chalk boards with intricate scribbles, mind boggling nomenclature so accurate as to account for laws of physics known only to a few of the most capable. At a certain point; however, the remainder is determined by theory and conjecture; the laws of physics, at least those we are familiar with, cannot explain what has been observed.


Scientists and mathematicians are at a loss when it comes to explaining the moment just prior to and just after the Big Bang. Nothing in their formulas explain how something came from nothing or how something so immense came from something so small, it defies explanation.


The answer to the Big Bang mystery; just as with the “near empty” tube of toothpaste, it’s a miracle. Scoff if you will; but these observations provide a chance to build faith for those who exhibit gratitude to the Lord. I almost forgot; don’t forget to floss.


This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.