Welcome Back!

In today’s post we are going to be looking at the virtue of Serendipity. Serendipity means “happy accidents” but many do not know how to properly define this word, so it can have a variety of meanings and connotations.

I have to be honest, when I first read the chapter, I really was quite confused as how having serendipity is a virtue. Serendipity translates as having “Happy Accidents” or  “fortune happenstance”  or just having luck.  So how is having luck or happy accidents  virtuous?

Of course there are many ways that serendipity can be translated. In the book, the author translates serendipity as  trusting in Providence, yet taking the risk of  opportunity. That is allowing God to guide you, yet doing something in full faith that God will either provide or lead you in the direction that you need to be in.  For example, you are looking for a job, and you do have peace that God will give you the job you want, yet you apply to those jobs that suit your interests, and land a job that you didn’t even consider in the beginning, that is having serendipity.

Also the author uses serendipity as not being so consumed with scheduling and planning our future. In our modern would, we are pushed to be everything, and even looking idle is frowned upon.  Throughout scripture, we see this pattern of us trying to plan our paths and God ultimately directing our steps.  As G.K Chesterton states, “ The more coincidental things seem, the less coincidental they are.”  And as the author put it, “Throughout the ages, wise men have intuited that Fortune’s role in human life is the daily expression of something eternal;the mysterious, paradoxical, and providential Reality that is otherwise unseen.” (pg. 45).

Thus, having serendipity is virtuous. Having this virtue means that although you are actively seeking something, knowledge, etc, you are allowing whatever opportunities to arise to arise, and you are not startled by them or fear them.

As the author ends the chapter, “ The more that the modern man loves plans and schedules more than rhythm and leisure, preferring the casino to the stream, the unluckier he will feel. (..) He will learn at last what our forefathers already taught us, that fortune humbles the clever and exalts the pure of heart .” ( pg.  52).