Brian’s Reflection: Monday, May 14, 2007


We are all tied to our destiny and there is
no way we can liberate ourselves.

- Rita Hayworth, actress, who died on this day, 1987,
of the complications of Alzheimer’s disease


Depends. That sentence can mean a lot of different things, right? And raises lots of issues and conundrums.

1. Is there such a thing as “destiny”?
2. Is it inevitable? Preordained?
3. Does choice mean that nothing can be preordained?
4. Is choice only the “crooked way” to an inevitable end?
5. Etc.

I believe that nothing is preordained. Nothing is predestined. I believe that we make our own destiny – and that it changes moment by moment, as we think, choose, change. We are never “tied” to anything, unless we choose it, refuse to exercise our humanity. We may get into places, ruts, situations that we can’t liberate ourselves from on our own – that’s when others. and the Mystery we call God, come in. We need help – and help comes in many forms. Our destiny is connected, yours and mine, all of us.

Is there some Force that can “set” our destiny, and nothing we can do, no choice we make, can change that outcome? No.

There’s one possibility I do entertain: no matter what we do, we cannot avoid the reach of Divine Love. I believe we are destined to know Love’s grace, somehow, somewhere, sometime.

Brian+