Providence, Pascal, and Gandalf the Grey

Providence is something that both Christians and non-Christians once believed in. The avowed Deist Thomas Jefferson stated that "a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence" was the foundation of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain was written. Jefferson didn't believe in a personal saving God, but he knew that there was a supreme Being that held the universe together but didn't intervene in human affairs.

Later, Mahatma Gandhi, the Hindu spiritual leader of Indian independence movement, revealed his belief in providence by saying " Providence has its appointed hour for everything." Gandhi understood that he wasn't completely self determining, that there was some force in the universe that ordained his destiny.

But what does the Bible say about providence? Providence is like God's invisible hand, making sure that He is glorified. Matthew 10:29-31 paints a great picture of the doctrine of providence. " Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear, you are more valuable than many sparrows."

 If God cares about the death of two tiny birds, how much more does He care about the lives of those who He created in His own image? In our fallen self-centered minds, having our life already planned out for us makes us seem like robots. However, it is comforting to know that God will make everything right for those who trust Him. (Romans 8:28;Revelation 3:21)

The French philosopher, scientist, and Renaissance man Blaise Pascal was a firm believer in God's providence. He wrote in his journal (collected as Pensees) that "he who takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God's providence to lead him aright." Pascal knew that God had a solution for any problem and that by placing one's trust in His judgment that the problem would be solved. In his life as a scientist and mathematician, Pascal applied this principle by submitting himself to God when discovering the axioms of geometry and in his experiments on the vacuum and invisible space.

Finally, Hollywood, usually a haven for relativism, alludes to God's providence in the Academy Award winning film Lord of the Rings:Fellowship of the Ring. This fantasy epic was adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy of the same name, who was a devout Roman Catholic, like Pascal. In a pivotal scene, Gandalf, the wizard leader of the Fellowship of the Ring, must choose between three passages to exit the gloomy Mines of Moria and continue the journey to destroy the evil One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom.

While pondering where to go, the ring bearer Frodo tells him, " I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had ever happened." But the wise wizard replies," So do all live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide.All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." Gandalf tells Frodo that he was meant to have the Ring, and good will triumph in the end, which cheers up the hobbit considerably.

Even though director Peter Jackson hasn't revealed his religious beliefs to the public, he decided to keep some of Tolkien's Christian worldview intact in his film version of Lord of the Rings. General audiences can still grasp that there are forces in this world that are unseen and that ensure that truth and justice will win in the end. Despite terrorist attacks, Balrogs, and other senseless evils, God's providence makes sure that His perfect will is done even when the odds seem to be against him.The whole Lord of the Rings saga illustrates this idea of providence by showing that two hobbits can go into a land of pure and senseless evil, destroy that evil, and restore Eden. Do you personally believe in providence? Are there any other examples of providence that you can find in recent (and ancient) movies,books,TV shows, and songs?

" How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."- Sam Gamgee (Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers) (2002)