Ever so often Hollywood goes theological without knowing it.  Fox Network’s new drama “Touch” with Keefer Sutherland is one such program.  Fox doesn’t present truth from a Christian view… but thinking believers can’t help but impose Biblical theology as THE truth behind the storylines.

The basis is an autistic child who through numbers and patterns sees things that others cannot/don’t understand.  The concept is that everyone on earth is connected.  Pilot Episode: A cell phone lost by a business man (Who sells commercial ovens and wants to see pictures of his deceased daughter that is stored on the phone) is passed from a baggage handler in the airport (Sutherland) to a wanna-be record promoter to a man traveling to Japan to another random person to another and another and eventually ends up in Baghdad in a teen suicide bomber attempting to get money for his family to purchase an oven in the family bakery.  Just before the bomb blows up the phone is tracked… the battery removed… the video the promoter put on the phone AND pictures of the little girl are shown in Time’s Square… where the initial dad is standing… who gets an oven for the teenager in Baghdad… and Keefer realizes how his son is attempting to communicate (Stay with me).

These kind of things happen every day… 10,000 x 10,000 times… all over the globe… in all of our lives… and mostly we don’t comprehend it.  Let me explain.

The writers of Touch attribute random events to an ordered universe with no mention of God or theology.  From a Christian perspective such things are not random… nor do they take place as the result of a child unlocking mystical secrets only a few can grasp.  They are the result of a merciful, good, and loving God who actively works in the lives of every person to bring all things to a consummation that results in His glory!  Let me to explain with a Biblical and personal example.

Biblical Example: In Genesis (37, 39-47, 49-50) Joseph’s dad sends him to his brothers.  The brothers hate Joseph.  They throw him into a pit with intent to kill him.  One brother talks them into selling Joseph to Midianites who just happen to be passing by.  The Midianites sell Joseph to Potipher who runs an Egyptian prison.  Potipher wife falsely accuses Joseph of rape.  Potipher throws Joseph into prison.  Joseph runs the prison for Potipher.  Joseph interprets dreams for two men he meets in prison, one promises to gain his freedom… and forgets him for two years.  Then Pharoah has a dream Joseph interprets so as to prepare for a famine.  Pharoah makes Joseph Vice-Pharoah to prevent starvation.  Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to buy food.  They are reunited as a family.  The Jewish nation is preserved.  Joseph makes a famous statement about these events… “You meant it for evil, God meant it for good” (Gen 50:20).  Jesus The Messiah descends from them.  Jesus dies and is resurrected.  All who believe in Him are granted eternal life.  And Hollywood makes a movie called “The Ten Commandments” with Charlton Heston!  The movie would never have been made unless all those things had happened to Joseph (Levity)!  GOD MADE ALL THOSE CONNECTIONS AND BROUGHT ALL THOSE THINGS ABOUT… FOR HIS GLORY IN THE SALVATION OF SINNERS!

Personal Example (Shortened):  I chose to leave a church in Northwest Alabama without a place to serve (That’s a story of God’s providence in its self!).  A friend asked me to preach for him in Moulton, Alabama (Where’s that?!).  Moulton Baptist Church asked me to be their interim pastor.  Huffman Baptist Church heard about me from a person on staff at another church in Birmingham.  Huffman Baptist’s previous pastor grew up and attended Moulton Baptist Church.  He gave them contacts in Moulton to find out about me and my pastoral skills (I served 16 months… so they had observed me for a while).  HBC contacted me and heard me preach at a church in Birmingham another friend had asked me to fill in at after their pastor was fired (I was no longer MBC’s Interim)… and short story long… I’m now pastor of Huffman Baptist Church!  GOD DID IT!  HE MADE THE CONTACTS AND CONNECTIONS BY HIS PROVIDENCE!

That is Romans 8:28!  “GOD causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him who are the called according to His purpose!”

Ahem… there IS a reason Jesus said, “Don’t worry… Don’t be afraid!”  There is a reason Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything…”  It’s because God is on His Throne… God IS in control… He IS working ALL THINGS according to His will (Ephesians 1:11b)!