Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Synchronicity - An apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events that are casually unrelated. 

I've never heard of this before, but I think it refers to what is commonly known as "happenstance." But it's two chance happenings that are unrelated. Synchronicity is the convergence of two incidents that occur and are not connected in any way. This is a fancy word for what common people call a coincident. 

I don't believe there's such a thing as "coincidence," in the way they are believed to occur strictly by chance. Two incidents often line up next to each other that share an association of some kind. And they come together suddenly out of a clear blue sky. 

"Synchronicity" sounds like a theology. So I'm guessing that the question pertains to whether believers should give any thought to such a theological mystery. Should believers consider putting any faith in happenstance? What real harm can reading about a cooky theology do? (And take it from me, "Luck" is a cooky theological persuasion). It all depends on how deeply rooted a person is in that which they claim to believe. It also depends on what a person prefers to trust in; a God who does with us as He pleases, or natural occurrences. 

The young man (an Amalekite) who "happened" upon David and his men in Ziklag, had escaped from the camp of Israel, who told David of the death of Saul and his sons, told David he "happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa and came upon Saul leaning on his own spear" (2 Sam 1:6). Long story short: David executed him when he admitted that Saul was still alive and asked him to finish him off. He admitted to doing it. Happenstance can't be trusted.

When Israel went out to battle against the Philistines at Ebenezer, they were defeated and the ark of the covenant was captured (1 Sam 4). The Philistines took the ark into the house of their God Dagon and set it by Dagon. The next morning Dagon had fallen from its perch and lay on the floor next to the ark of the covenant of God. They set it in its place. The next morning it had fallen again, it's head and both of its hands broken off, only its torso was left of it (1 Sam 5). The hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them with tumors. 

Was it by chance that God allowed the ark to be captured or was it a divine strategy? Who was God teaching? Israel, the Philistines, or maybe both? 

The Philistines decided to send the ark to other territories. Every place they sent it had the same deadly circumstances. So they decided to send it back to Israel. So they put it on a new cart pulled by two cows that had never been yoked, with gifts of golden images as a trespass offering. (The Philistines knew something about the God of the Hebrews). 

They decided to "let the cart go and watch:" if it goes up the road to its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, then God has done all the evil that had happened to them. But if not, if it doesn't go home, then they would know that it wasn't the Hebrew God that struck them - "it happened to us by chance." The cows went straight to Beth Shemesh. (1 Sam 6)

The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all (Eccl 9:11). 

Solomon is saying that sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time, or the wrong place at the wrong time. It can seem that way, for sure. This, from the wisest man to ever live. There must be some wisdom sewn into this somewhere. 

There is. His point is that wisdom is better than strength. He says, 'One sinner can destroy much good.' He says, 'Dead flies putrefy the perfumers ointment.' His point: a little foolishness does the same kind of damage. In other words, knowing is better than guessing.

Is it alright to read books that glorify foolishness? Yeah, as long as you don't think you're being offered to read it by chance.

December 13 2021 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report