Engineered Accidents

So she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.   Ruth 2:3  NASB

And she happened – Once before we examined this odd Hebrew construction, the verb qārâ + noun miqreh, as a way of suggesting that something that appears to be accidental is actually (somehow) a part in God’s engineering of human lives (CLICK HERE).  The verb is a vav consecutive + imperfect.  That tells us a bit more.  It’s not a “one-time” circumstance.  It’s more like the Greek term kairós, a slice of the heavenly inserted into our typical chronology—but not a “chronological” slice—like a moment of godly revelation.  No, it’s more like the culmination and continuation of God’s hidden engineering that we are privileged to see for just a moment.  It’s like Mark’s use of kairós as “in the fullness of time,” that is, when everything was ready for something to happen.

Now you might ask, “Why are we spending so much time on this idea?  Yes, it’s interesting that Hebrew views God’s hidden planning like this, but what does that have to do with me?  I’m just like Ruth.  It all seems accidental.  In fact, the only way I could know that it wasn’t an accident is to have a divine perspective, which, by the way, I don’t have.”  You’re absolutely right.  You don’t have God’s view of things.  No human being does.  But . . . you do have clues.

Let’s apply this Hebrew idea to what has become an evangelical mantra, and see if it doesn’t change a few things.  I’m thinking of Matthew 28:19.  “Go, therefore, and make disciples . . .”  Of course, by now you know that even in the Greek text this isn’t a command.  It’s an aorist participle, something more akin to “As you are going.”  And, of course, that’s exactly why this evangelical mantra must be understood Hebraically.  You see, your path in life is an engineered accident, or a collection of accidents.  You really are like Ruth.  As you go along, accidents happen.  You “accidently” meet someone who forms a bond.  You “accidentally” find yourself in a situation where you can express Torah living.  You “accidentally” discover a need you are capable of dealing with.  In fact, if you really think about it, the Kingdom of God is the pathway of accidents; all those unplanned, unexpected situations that open the door for some Kingdom action.  Evangelism is the continuous awareness of engineered accidents, and the readiness to seize the opportunities they present for Kingdom expression.  It’s wandering through life with an eye toward kairós.

And it happened that you read this today.  I wonder why.

Topical Index: qārâ, miqreh, poreúomai, kairós, happened, Matthew 28:19, Ruth 2:3