Chapter 6
Hosea makes this enigmatic statement; quite the opposite of the domino effect – but we’ll just get to that!
They have planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind. Hosea 8.7
When making decisions, we may be drawn to ideas that seem appealing at first but fall apart upon closer examination. I recently read a passage that caught my interest, to be honest, really bothered me as I also heard a conversation in which the same concept was mentioned.
‘If you base every decision on the Bible, then one good decision will lead to the next; it’s a domino effect. But bear in mind that the process also works in reverse.’ If someone chooses not to base their decisions on the Bible, it can lead to a negative domino effect – a chain reaction that goes from bad to worse.
The domino effect, also known as the Domino Theory, was originally based on the fear of communism spreading from the Soviet Union, which was America’s former ally in WW2 against Nazi Germany. It suggests that if one domino falls, it can trigger a chain reaction where all the dominoes fall.
Causal reasoning and the connection between cause and effect imply that everything in our lives is intricately linked. However, this idea leaves me unsettled as I question whether it accurately captures the complexity of our experiences.
What if life isn’t entirely governed by causality? What if peculiar and unexplainable events occur? Perhaps, at times, we are merely recipients of good or bad luck, and it seems as though a higher power, through God in moments of mercy, intervenes in our lives.
I prefer the “butterfly effect.” While the domino effect suggests that one event triggers a sequence of similar events, the butterfly effect, on the other hand, is a concept from chaos theory that suggests small, seemingly insignificant actions or events can lead to significant and unpredictable consequences. It implies that a minor change in one part of a system can have far-reaching effects throughout the system.
Hosea prophesies that those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). The small decisions made along the way can have far-reaching and devastating consequences.
Jesus speaks of the ultimate rewards associated with selfless, kind, and humane decisions, as opposed to those who live for themselves and ignore or abuse the weak and downtrodden.
At times, I feel as delicate and unsteady as a butterfly in a hurricane. Reason can sometimes appear unreasonable, and outcomes may seem irreconcilable with our beliefs.
However, we must choose whether to trust in the God of order amidst chaos or to reject Him and be tossed about by the winds of controversy. I choose faith, having witnessed a lot of His grace to believe in His goodness and received much of His patience along the way.
Butterfly, will you fly on your wings or rest in the cleft of the rock? Your choices also, not only, not just a domino in a long chain of events, have a significant impact on every circumstance, situation, and decision, whether you perceive it amidst the chaos or not.
As for now, I prefer a butterfly effect over the domino effect!
Wishing you a great start to this new week!
Philemon