Fortune Cookie Friday: Are There Coincidences?

The universe is huge and scientists are still, and probably always will be, trying to unlock its mysteries. Why are we here? Is there a divine power? What is “The Answer to the Great Question… Of Life, the Universe and Everything?” If you’re a Douglas Adams fan, it’s 42.

It’s not uncommon to have these questions. We are plopped on this little blue planet and we want our lives to have some meaning. We learn and work, but sometimes we wonder if we are going in the right direction. “Oh, God, give me a sign,” we say, but maybe we already have it.

The movie Signs (2002), written and directed by M. Night Shyamala, has a scene where Mel Gibson’s character, Rev. Graham is consoling Joaquin Phoenix’s character, Merrill after they see a news story about some possible alien spaceships. He breaks down people into two categories, those that believe in signs and those that don’t.

From a religious aspect, signs give the impression that there is a higher power controlling the events in our lives. Like in the clip, it can give us hope. We can feel confident we are following a plan.

The more I think about coincidences, the more I wonder if they really are just that, unrelated incidents. When two separate events occur, we might think of them as coincidence, but doesn’t us calling them a coincidence mean we took the time to look for a connection? It’s almost as if we are trying to connect things and events in our lives to give them meaning.

Maybe these “signs” aren’t controlling us but guiding us. Even better, maybe they are just a selection of options. When we are at a point in our lives when we need guidance, we see a connection. That connection assures us that we are on the right path.

Are we trying to be like those in group one and not see coincidence, but signs? Are we trying to be hopeful? Maybe we should. It’s not a bad thing to be hopeful; is it?