My son and I almost had an auto accident earlier this evening. Driving me home from work, he ran a blinking red light. As we passed through the intersection, I saw headlights coming toward us – from his side.
After we made it through safely– and I pointed out his error, I thought about my lack of reaction. Somehow I felt confident we would not be hit.
I contemplated the car being wrecked. That would have been bad (let alone either of us being hurt). We have only the one car between us.
Yet, I was not disturbed. Was this fatalism - Insha’Allah, as Arabic speakers often say? In our ignorance, we Americans see this as a shrugging “If God wills.” (Wikipedia says it’s a statement of submission required when making plans for the future.)
Or was my feeling more like Connie Francis’ light-hearted Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)? “The future’s not ours to see. Que sera, sera.” This never seemed like much of an answer to me.
I find I like Wikipedia’s Insha’Allah better or maybe my own “hopeful fatalism”; it’s all in God’s loving hands.
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