Bullet Train: Divine Providence (Necessity and Contingency)

 There are moments in life when all of the puzzle pieces come together and you have a complete picture.  At that moment everything makes sense - you understand why certain things happened the way they did and the reason why certain people were involved.  The problem is that most of the time we don’t really see the big picture.  Call it what you will - we are wearing the “lenses of the moment.”  We tend to only see what is going on right in front of us - through our unique and specific lenses.  We are not acutely attuned to the happenings and circumstances of others that may be sitting in the seat across from us on a plane or train, living in the house next door, or working at the desk across the sea of cubicles in our office.  We see what we see because that is what we are experiencing.  We fail to realize that what others are doing and experiencing may have a critical intersection point with our own life.  

Enter the movie Bullet Train (directed by David Leitch).  This is a movie of what appears to be stand-alone stories all happening in a confined space - the interior of a Japanese Bullet Train.  Each character has a story, a mission, an angle - and each character starts off rather oblivious to the others.  There are casual interactions and brush ups.  But the deeper you venture down the tracks, the more you are drawn in to see how each character’s story is not a monolithic pillar but rather a significant piece of a much larger (and inter-connected) story.  The one character, Lady Bug (played by Brad Pitt), is the one character that weaves in and out of each person’s story.  Although he wasn’t supposed to be on the train,  Lady Bug’s story is the thread that connects every story together.  

Call it what you will, this is providence.  When wearing the lenses of faith we can see how God is working in and through people and events.  Some of these providential moments are “necessity” while others are “contingency.”  From this viewpoint, necessity means certain things had to happen - divinely ordered - and we are a part of God’s unfolding plan.  For example, on the Bullet Train each person was brought on the train (unbeknownst to each other) by the ordering and directing of White Death (played by Michael Shannon).  When looking at Scripture, a Christian would be compelled to say that by “necessity” Jesus would be betrayed by Judas, handed over to Pontius Pilate, and crucified…it was the “necessity” of the divine plan of God.

However, we should not forget that there are those moments of providence that are “contingent.”  In other words, although it is part of the plan everything in human affairs is done freely and contingently - this is known as the necessity of contingency.  An example of this from the movie is when Wolf (played by Bad Bunny) enters the train and recognizes Lady Bug - remember, Lady Bug is not supposed to be on the train…and yet, this contingent moment sends the movie and these characters on a very different arch (but is still part of the greater whole and a necessary piece of the story).  

So where are you in the providence of God?  Where do you see yourself on God’s “Bullet Train?”  How do you see the people around you?  What about the work you are doing and the places you are going?  How does your life impact or affect the lives of those around you?  Where is your “faith puzzle piece” and how does that impact your day to day routine.  I must admit that the movie Bullet Train is an incredibly entertaining ride that is filled with crazy twists and turns - sort of like life itself…well, minus the samurai swords, knife fights, poisonings, and murders (and thank God for that!).  But…it’s more reflective of how God brings everything together when we simply aren’t paying attention…and that’s what we call “providence.”