Written in the stars* - Elton John and LeAnn Rimes

"...life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. Uh-uh. But rather it's a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan."

That's what Jeremy Piven's character said in Serendipity - which for the record, disappointed big time for me!!!

I agree with the statement - but not on the same basis. When it was said in the movie, it was in reference to "fate" or "destiny". As for meself, i believe steadfastly that it is God who dictates the "exquisite, sublime plan" in my life.

But wait a minute - the more i thought about it, the more confused i got. Then how does believing in God differ from leaving things to "fate"? Do we really have a free will, an ability to make decisions - if God has a plan for all of us?

Then i recalled a heated discussion we had after a Young Adults' Fellowship meeting a couple of years ago when i suddenly raised a question - brilliantly or foolishy (sometimes the lines are blurred) - does the Bible ever say expressly that man has a free will? We never reached a consensus on that.

If man indeed has complete free will, then why do Christians pray that people will change? Because when they do that, they are basically asking God to change someone - and that goes against that person's free will to be who he wants to be, isn't it?

However, wouldn't it be ridiculous to think that God controls all our decisions, from deciding to eat chicken kurma today to wearing a green shirt? Having said that, he could have "programmed" our minds in a way that will make such decisions - in that way, the freedom of choice is illusory... or is it??!!!

As the chorus for the above-titled song goes:-

Is it written in the stars?
Are we paying for some crime?
Is that all that we are good for?
Just a stretch of mortal time

Is this God's experiment?
In which we have no say

At the end of the day, i believe that God is real. That God is almighty. That he is all knowing. Most importantly, he loves us - so we are not some chess piece who's sole reason for existence is to give it's owner some mild amusement

That's all i'm sure of at the moment....

Oh, and i must really must stop watching movies which raises deep theological internal debates within...

*Elton John and Tim Rice wrote for this song for the musical, Aida