One of the challenges in theodicy is the seemingly arbitrary nature of providence. Why the apparently random distribution of blessing and bane? Why is one prayer answered while another prayer goes unanswered? While is one person healed while another person is not?
However, the appearance of randomness can be illusory. To take a comparison, consider Seurat's La Grande Jatte. Seen up close, it appears to be utterly haphazard. There's no discernible image. But seen from a certain distance, the hidden pattern emerges. Indeed, Seurat was obsessed with composition. An architectural harmony. Far from being random, he made many preliminary sketches and drawings. The painting is the end-result of painstaking forethought. Paradoxically, what seems to be haphazard can be the end-product of minute design. If anything, the painting suffers from static precision. A lack of spontaneity.
Yet there is a sense in which, below a certain threshold, it really is random. That's because the individual constituents weren't meant to be meaningful in isolation. They only become meaningful in their overall relationships, which can only be perceived at a higher scale of organization. The pattern lies in the ensemble. By the same token, the impression that divine providence is arbitrary is in fact consistent with meticulous planning and execution.
Bueller, Bueller. The observation is very true and insightful. It is also a very large painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. I would encourage everyone if the opportunity arises to go see it with your observation in mind. It captivates you as move close and far away as Ferris, Sloan and Cameron do in the movie. I had some of the exact same thoughts when I went and saw the painting.
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