Coincidence. Some believe in random acts of chance. Others feel everything happens for a reason. They truly feel each moment of our life is planned and controlled by God. Where do you stand on this issue? By definition, a coincidence is a sequence of events that, although accidental, seems to have been planned or arranged.
Let me explain my opinion about this issue. First thing first, I am open to reversals. If someone can provoke doubt in my mind, I will contemplate a reversal. However, on this particular topic I feel strongly that coincidences do occur. I think I need to emphasize something before I go on though. I believe God has created us with certain talents and abilities which are specific to each of us. He also has a master plan for each of us. Yet, we are the ones using these talents and abilities and making our own decisions. He just points us in the right direction. It is our free will which drives us toward our destiny. Now back to the topic at hand.
Here are a few examples of what I would consider falling into the catagory of coincidence:
1. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day.
2. Pitcher Warren Spahn, of the Milwaukee Brewers, pitched a no-hitter on his 40th birthday.
3. Then there are the many coincidences between the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.
So what of these "coincidences." Are they just rare cases of an odd occurance that God decided to let take place because of his celestial sense of humor. Many people die on the same day, yet two presidents of the United States who served back-to-back administrations. Okay I'll buy that, but what about a pitcher throwing a no-hitter on his birthday. It is such a rare act of excellence, that to throw a no-hitter on one particular day out of 365 is much to random to be planned. What about the many coincidences surrounding the assinations of two of the most famous U.S. presidents. Still all part of God's design. What for? What significance does this play in our daily walk with Christ that He should plan such an unsystematic act?
Joanna doesn't believe in the percentages of a winning and losing hand in poker shown on World Poker Tour. She is constantly reminding me of every certain hand that the long shot, the one card needed, wins. Well, my response is we never remember when our pocket Aces hold up. It is only when they are beaten by a Queen-Three off-suit or an Eight-Nine off-suit that we can remember it with such great detail.
Is this the same with an instance of coincidence? If it happened any other time, or any other way in fact, would it be remembered as clearly? I don't know. I honestly can't answer that. Some can remember Nolan Ryan had seven no-hitters throughout his career, but can anyone recite the dates of those games without the assistance of the Internet or a baseball reference guide?
Coincidences happen more than one might think, but are they really coincidences? Does God plan all of this just to give us topics of conversation that can include his divine presence. I would definetly like feedback on this one. I want to hear where you are on the coincidence topic. Please post your comments and I will try to respond to them. You might even be able to get a reversal out of me if you try hard enough.
Again, I am not saying I don't believe that God has a hand in our lives. Although I do feel some things happen randomly and He has no particular interest in the outcome. Say rolling seven dice seven times in a row and hitting seven each time. Random act of coincidence or God? I say coincidence, but who really knows.
5 comments:
Okay I don't even know where to start, we already had this talk today so you know where I stand. I don't believe in coincidences but I don't know if I believe that God specifically decided way back when that I would go walking with my mother tonight. I do believe that He has a set plan for our lives and we can take one of several paths to arrive to that place varying in difficulty depending on if we rely on Him, our family, our surroundings, and/or ourselves.
So... everyone was just having fun but then you had to go and get all existential on us. Whatever.
I think that coincidence, random chance, and divine intervention are all valid daily occurences. By definition we determine, within ourselves, what is coincidental. What is coincidence to me, might not be to another. Can true coincidence exist without defined parameters? But with that said, random chance probably plays a larger role than is given credit for.
Now, does God have a sense of humor? I would say most certainly so. There is immense proof of the healing powers of laughter. There is too much humor in nature for God not to realize and acknowledge the benefit of the humorous side of life. But I think that it is important to understand that the main issue with God is salvation. And I think that it is a little far-fetched to think that God has fore-ordained random acts simply for stirring up minds. This becomes a tricky issue for many. Does God know what the future holds? Yes. But that is simply because He is all-knowing, not necessarily because He dicated it. We are creatures of free-will, allowed to choose our own paths. It is through this choice that some turn to God, and I don't feel that God wants people blindly following Him, He wants a choice to be made. You can choose to see God wherever you please, but that doesn't always mean that He created an environment for you to stumble onto.
I don't think that I really addressed your question. Oh well.
You did somewhat touch on my question James. You gave me an answer as to whether you believe in coincidence. I especially like your comment about God knowing the future. "He is all-knowing, not necessarily because he dictated it."
That is a valid point and coincides with my free will paragraph. We control the day to day actions of our lives, but we can let go of that control and choose what God has in store for us. That is what letting God be in control means. Yet ultimately it is still us, human beings, making the decision.
This is to anonymous, why don't you believe in coincidence? Why can't an accidental action occur that seems planned but isn't? Please expand on your opinion. This is an open forum for people to express their ideas. It is a form of free speech in every sense of the word. I will censor no one on this or any blog. I appreciate the feedback and hope to hear from more of my readers.
I don't think that God does have a "set" plan for our lives. I think that He has a plan - that we come to known Him (of our own accord), that we come to salvation through Him, that we lead others to Him, etc. That is His plan for us, but I don't think that it is set. We can deviate from that plan. That is what free-will is all about. If there was a "set" plan in place then no one who came to God would ever stray from Him.
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My response to this post is WAY too long for a comment box, so I posted it on my blog.
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