Do you know the theory of the butterfly effect? It goes something like this: a butterfly in West Africa flaps its wings, and, at just the right time, it stirs the smallest of air gusts. The burst of air grows, rippling around the globe until it results in a hurricane in…let’s say Florida.
I’m on board with the butterfly part. It’s not the result I question, it’s the randomness. Who finds consolation in a philosophy of happenstance? But I do find great comfort in promises like Ephesians 1:11: “We were chosen from the beginning to be his [God’s], and all things happen just as he decided long ago.” The butterfly might stir, but only with the permission of God can a wing flap create a hurricane.