Mark Wenz, Unity Church of Sun Lakes
An atheist friend of mine insists that divine intervention doesn’t exist. My contrasting belief is that spirit does intervene in our lives by guiding, nudging, and helping us throughout our lives. Which of these positions resonates more with you? Does divine intervention actually occur? Let’s explore the topic further.
According to Google, “Divine intervention is the idea that a divine being–or a transcendent intelligence, God, or spiritual reality–actively influences events in the world, often in ways that seem beyond ordinary cause and effect.” Google states that “it’s a fascinating concept because it sits at the intersection of religion, spirituality, philosophy, and personal experience.”
Divine intervention, for those who believe in it, can take several forms, including the following: a direct miracle, such as a miraculous healing or an extraordinary rescue; guidance through circumstances, as when an unexpected meeting, opportunity, phone call, or change in circumstances seems extraordinarily well-timed; inner guidance in the form of intuition, dreams, visions, feelings, or sudden understandings; protection or redirection, such as when someone narrowly avoids a disaster or finds themselves unexpectedly diverted onto a path that seems to change what was seemingly inevitable; or as a transformation through suffering that brings meaning, growth, or a new direction for the person who suffers.
Different religious traditions see divine intervention in different ways. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, divine intervention involves a personal God who can act within creation. In Hindu traditions, intervention may help guide a person’s spiritual development without necessarily overriding the laws of karma. In Buddhism, liberation is primarily connected with understanding reality and transforming consciousness rather than divine intervention. Unity philosophy professes that what seems like divine intervention may actually be spiritual evolution arising from practicing prayer and meditation. According to Unity, as we evolve spiritually, what appear to be synchronous or divinely guided events may instead be the result of our inner spiritual awakening.
Science can’t prove or disprove the existence of divine intervention because there’s no accepted scientific method for demonstrating its presence or absence. Science can investigate what happened and what natural explanations might account for it, but determining that God or another transcendent intelligence caused it involves a metaphysical rather than a scientific interpretation.
Divine intervention isn’t always dramatic. It may look remarkably ordinary as it manifests as a chance conversation, a metaphorical door that unexpectedly opens or closes, a strong intuition to go or not go somewhere (this happened to my mother and saved us from being in a terrible car accident), or meeting someone at precisely the right moment. Consciousness, a current topic of extreme interest to both scientists and metaphysicians, may also play a role in one’s belief or disbelief in divine intervention.
At Unity Church of Sun Lakes, we often explore topics such as this. We welcome all and would love to have you join us at 10 a.m. on Sundays in the Arts and Crafts room at Sun Lakes Country Club.