What if...

What if there really are random events in this universe?

One of the phrases that has bugged me since the tornado, and even a little bit before is: "Everything happens for a reason". I'm pretty sure that's not true. I believe that God does not dictate _every_ flip of a coin that I make, and that this universe we live in does in fact have random occurrences. I mean, if everything had a reason, that would eliminate the need for us to have free will, wouldn't it? If everything had a reason, then it would be possible to understand that reason, and therefore mathematically prove the existence of God. God wants us to _choose_ to follow Jesus, not be convinced by some logical means. He wants our hearts full of him, not just the logical part of our brain. I believe that the "Everything happens for a reason" is our (very human) way of quelling our fear that we are not actually in control. I mean, if we could understand the reason, then we could somehow "understand God's essential existence", and I believe that is not possible. As far as free will goes, here's an example. It's kinda hard to _choose_ to believe that the moon exists. It's right there. If God wants us to choose Jesus and His way, we must do so without proof, because it is through Faith that we are saved, not logic. Heck, even the Israelites in the old testament lost their faith even though they were confronted with visible proof time after time during the exodus. I believe that you see the "proof" of our God and his Spirit and his Son through the faith and love of others.

Added, as I think about this, it reminds me of how God wants us to be in relationships with others, and Him, His Spirit, and His Son too. I don't think you can "prove" yourself into a relationship with somebody, you need to choose that for yourself.