Coincidence and Fate

Our book club is currently reading Roberto Bolano's novel 2666. It has been praised by critics for its complexity and its themes. One of the more interesting characters is a painter by the name of Johns who expresses his views on the role of coincidence and fate in one's life. He says, "Coincidence, if you'll permit me the simile, is like the manifestation of God at every moment on our planet. A senseless God making senseless gestures at his senseless creatures." He sees coincidence at being representative of total freedom and the complete opposite of fate. I beg to disagree.

As a Christian I have always been taught that there is no such thing as coincidence, that God has a plan for each of our lives that He carries out. That belief, however, does not mean we humans are without free will to make our own choices. From the beginning of the Hebrew Bible, we read of Adam and Eve's choice to eat of the forbidden fruit in spite of God's command to do otherwise.

As I reflect upon seeming coincidences in my own life, I am convinced that God is preparing us all the time for events to follow in our lives. For example, when Judy, my sister, moved to a small town in Mississippi in the 1970's, by "coincidence" she met our half-brother's wife at the local swimming pool. She developed a friendship with her and was able to meet our half-brothers. Up until this time, we knew that our father had twin sons by his first wife, but we had never met them. When our father was killed in a homicide a few months later, we were able to plan the funeral together.

Another example of God's preparation of us to handle later events is that I participated in a RAIN team (Regional Aids Interfaith Network) for ten years in Northwest Arkansas as a caregiver. When I moved to Little Rock, I assumed that work was ended. At a small group meeting recently, one of our members confided in us that he had just been diagnosed with AIDS. I believe I was able to respond in a positive way, using my life experiences with my former care partners, to give him hope for the future.

Yes, many can, and do, believe in the postmodern idea of a senseless God making senseless gestures to a senseless people, but I choose of my own volition to believe simultaneously in free will, purpose, and plan for each of our lives.