On providence and karma

The promise of divine providence is, for the faithful, a guarantee that there is purpose in lives and for the events that befall us. However inscrutable their purpose, we are assured they are according to a plan for us and the universe. We each individually have purpose, insofar as our capacity for action—to act upon the world and others—gives us a vital role to play in the fulfillment of providence. Many find this reassuring, and I argue a great deal easier to accept than the cold, nauseating implications of the alternative. The alternative to providence is a chaotic universe in which God does not exist, or at least does not intervene. In such a world, we may find no solace that some greater purpose justifies tragedy, nor may we relish with pride our small victories as affirmations of our virtue.

Rather, the universe is indifferent to our mortal, vain preoccupations. Without pomp or prelation, the events of our lives are merely haphazard draws from a cosmic hat of possible events, some good and some bad. To quell our hankering spirits, we are only permitted to ask whether there is inherent, systematic bias of the world—i.e., whether the distribution of possible events is, on average even, meaning that good or bad things are equally likely to befall. Perhaps, in this question we might take more than a consolation, but find the opportunity to create purpose for ourselves. Does is not stand to reason that if our societies are just and our relationships harmonious that the distribution of events will be skewed in the direction of Goodness? Alternatively, would not injustice and discord foster resentment and ultimately push the distribution toward Badness?

Therefore, to those among us having deep internal struggles to find the solace of purpose in a world without providence, take heed that our actions, deliberate and otherwise, are necessarily reflected to us. For to the degree our actions promote a general beneficence, we push the distribution of events positively, and increase the likelihood of good things in return. At the same time, when our actions decrease the general welfare we contribute to a preponderance of bad events and so render ourselves more likely to experience them. We may call this karma.