Rick Archer's Note:

Most people take Coincidence for granted.  Not me.  I take each Coincidence very seriously.  There are several famous quotes about Coincidence.

"Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous."

"Coincidence is when God works a miracle and chooses to remain anonymous."

"Coincidence is the word we use when we cannot see the levers and pulleys."

I was raised a Quaker.  The Quaker religion is unusual in that we have no preacher, no sermons, no singing, no reading from scripture.  I like the Quaker religion because no one tells me what to do.  It is sort of a do-it-yourself religion.  Suits me just fine.  So how does it work?  During a Quaker service, we remain quiet for an hour in meditation.  We believe if we silence our mind, we can hear God's soft whisper of guidance and encouragement.  In addition to the meditation, sometimes one of the elders will stand up and offer a prayer or an insight. 

When I was sophomore in college I visited the Baltimore Quaker Meeting for the first time in February 1970.  One hundred people sat quietly in hopes that God would speak to them.  About halfway through the service, an older man rose to get our attention. 

He said, "Are you confident the way you view the world is the way it really is?"

That's all the man said.  Then he sat down.  His words left me mesmerized.  I immediately recalled six Coincidences that I had experienced in 1968.  Over the past two years I had thought about those coincidences many times.  Why?  Each coincidence was very improbable.  Not only that, one of the coincidences (dare I say it?) felt like a religious experience.  If I tried hard enough I could ignore them.  However, when added together, these six highly improbable events were so compelling that I had no choice but to ask if God had been involved.  Had I ever told anyone about these events?  No.  I thought people would laugh at me and call me crazy. 

Now I had just listened to a man who had stood up to ask if I was confident that the way I viewed the world was accurate.  To be perfectly frank, the answer was an emphatic 'No'.  I had been suspicious about this thing called Reality for some time now.  Feeling spooked, I sat there wondering if the man would speak to me.  I was very curious, so I approached him after Meeting concluded. 

I was very drawn to this man, so I asked him to explain what he had meant by his question.  Richard, 75, exuded exactly the warmth I needed.  He smiled and said, "I had a sudden urge to remind my friends to retain their sense of Curiosity.  Who knows, maybe my message was meant for you."

Feeling on guard, I asked suspiciously, "What do you mean by that?"

"You strike me as a young man who is very curious."

I blushed.  I never realized it was that obvious.  'Curious' should have been my middle name.  Taken aback, I demanded to know what Richard was talking about.  We ended up speaking for 30 minutes.  I don't remember the conversation word for word, but it revolved around Columbus and Copernicus.  Richard had a problem with people who refuse to challenge their views in face of contradictions. 

"The advance of Civilization is dependent on people who see things differently and have the courage to act upon their instinct.  I call them pioneers.  Copernicus suspected the Sun was the center of our solar system.  Columbus suspected the Earth was round.  Both men were dismissed as complete fools.  There is great irony here.  Humans like to think we are the dominant species due to our intelligence, but sometimes the people who think they are the smartest turn out to be the most ignorant of all.  It grates my soul to think men like Columbus and Copernicus were so easily written off by closed-minded bigots. 

Take Columbus for example.  He was widely vilified for defying scientists who assured everyone the Earth was flat.  Those highly educated men were so sure they were right.  All people had to do was look in the distance and see for themselves how flat the terrain was.  Indeed, many of the sailors who went with Columbus on his fateful first voyage were terrified they might actually fall off the edge of the Earth. 

Copernicus was scorned when he theorized the Earth revolves around the sun.  No one believed him!  Incredibly, the Catholic Church actually put people to death for the crime of agreeing with Copernicus.  If that doesn't prove the existence of human stupidity, nothing does.  If we fail to challenge our view of the Universe every time we find a situation that defies explanation, we cut off any chance to further advance human knowledge."

After our conversation, I began what some people might call a 'Search for Meaning'.  I wanted to find some way to prove the existence of God.  Here was my problem.   I am not psychic.  I don't hear voices.  I don't have visions.  I don't see the future.  Unfortunately, all I had to go were these weird coincidences.  Fortunately, I found what I was looking for.

In his his autobiography, Memories, Dreams, and Reflections, a well-known Swiss psychiatrist named Carl JungJ placed great emphasis on Coincidence.  As far as I could tell, Dr. Jung was the only Western scholar of any importance willing to give public credence to far-fetched mystical ideas.  Carl Jung's mother was said to have spoken with the dead.  His mother's embrace of the Occult had influenced Jung and formed the basis of his controversial conclusions.  Jung suggested paranormal events such as precognitive dreams, premonitions, ghosts, ESP, and weird coincidences might turn out to be natural events for which science has not yet advanced far enough to comprehend. 

"The problem of Synchronicity has puzzled me for a long time, ever since my middle twenties when I was investigating the phenomena of the collective unconscious.  I kept coming across connections which I simply could not explain as chance groupings.  What I found were 'coincidences' which were connected so meaningfully that their chance concurrence would represent a degree of improbability that would have to be expressed by an astronomical figure."

Dr. Jung offered a valuable piece of advice.  Keep a List.  He said if people would keep better track of each mysterious event, they would begin see Reality in a much different way.  By gathering seemingly random coincidences together and putting them in one spot, we might just see a pattern emerge.  Thinking of my six coincidences, I knew exactly what Jung was talking about.  With that, I decided to take his advice.  I sat down and compiled a List of all the curious things that had happened to me so far in my young life.  I smiled when I finished.  At age 20, I had 21 experiences that defied any sort of obvious scientific explanation.  That was a very good start. 

In the years since, I have carefully maintained my List.  Now that I am 75, my List of Coincidences and strange events events stands at 122.  Suffice it to say, any doubt I ever had about the existence of God disappeared long ago.  Why do I say that?  Having studied Coincidence my entire life, I have come to associate Coincidence with Fate.  I cannot begin to list all the important events in my life that felt manipulated beyond my awareness.  Sure, some of my experiences might have another explanation, but the day comes when it becomes time to stop writing off an avalanche of weird events as 'accidents' and accept that the Hidden Hand of God is involved.  I can accept scientific laws.  Theories such as Evolution and Natural Selection make sense to me.  What I cannot accept is that a phenomenon as complex as Fate can happen by accident. 

According to the Mystics, there is a Hidden World right in our midst.  This world has never been revealed to me, but I don't find the idea of a Hidden World totally far-fetched.  I know that dogs can hear things I cannot.  I know that microscopes and telescopes reveal things I can't see such as germs.  Elephants with their long noses can smell things I cannot.  And what about ghosts?  Although I have never seen a ghost, there are many who claim they have. 

Here is my point.  Just because I cannot see the Hidden World does not mean it is not there.  Personally, I have no idea what the Hidden Realm consists of.  Like most people, I am completely dependent on legend and mythology for my ideas.  Lacking first-hand knowledge about how Fate is administered, my best guess relies on the Christian concept of invisible Guardian Angels.  Folklore suggests we all have a specific angel charged with the responsibility of protecting us.  Given that the concept of Guardian Angels has such wide acceptance in the public mind, I sometimes wonder if Guardian Angels are the ones using the levers and pulleys.

Am I the only person to ever witness a startling coincidence?  Of course not.  Although I believe Divine Intervention is part of our daily life, I assume we remain unaware because God prefers to be very subtle.  However, once in a while, God tips his hand and does something so unusual it is impossible to ignore. 

To illustrate my point, I offer the shocking story of the Church Choir.   

THE CHURCH CHOIR COINCIDENCES

Back in 1950, a strange story appeared in the March 27th issue of Life Magazine.  Titled 'Why the Choir was Late', this event consisted of a peculiar series of mundane delays that saved the lives of seventeen different people.

The story took place in Beatrice, Nebraska, a small agricultural community 450 miles east of Denver, Colorado.  At the time, the population of Beatrice was around 5,000 people.  If you have any doubt as to the story's authenticity, visit the Internet and decide for yourself.  
 

 

The First Delay

March 1, 1950, was a bitterly cold day in windswept Beatrice, Nebraska.  Reverend Walter Klempel knew that the evening's 7:20 pm choir practice would be quite uncomfortable unless he heated the church ahead of time.  Therefore, out of consideration, Reverend Klempel visited West Side Baptist Church that afternoon to light the furnace and unlock the door.  This way anyone who arrived early tonight could come in out of the cold.  Klempel then returned home to change clothes and have dinner. 

At 7:10 pm that evening, as was his custom, he rose from reading his Bible to drive to the nearby church five minutes away.  However, just as he was about to leave home, his oldest daughter Marilyn Ruth, 18, cried in dismay when she discovered her dress was soiled. 

Her mother said not to worry; it would only take a few minutes to iron another dress.

Reverend Klempel, Mrs. Kempel and Marilyn Ruth would be late that night. 

THREE PEOPLE ARE DELAYED ON THEIR WAY TO CHURCH

The Second Delay

Ladona Vandegrift, a high school student, did not want to leave until she finished a nagging geometry problem.  This knotty problem had really gotten under her skin.   Ordinarily Ladona was the most punctual member of the choir.  In fact, she was typically early for choir practice.  But not tonight. 

Tonight would be the FIRST TIME Ladona had ever been late for choir practice.

Reverend Klempel, Mrs. Kempel, Marilyn Ruth plus Ladona

FOUR PEOPLE ARE DELAYED ON THEIR WAY TO CHURCH

 

The Third Delay

Royena Estes was ready to leave on time.  However, to her dismay, her car wouldn't start on this cold Nebraska night.  Royena's sister Sadie suggested they call their neighbor Ladona Vandegrift for a ride.

To their relief, a phone call revealed she was still at home despite her reputation for punctuality.  Although they were pleased to catch her, they were surprised when Ladona asked them to wait just a bit longer.  Ladona would come pick them up once she finished her frustrating math problem.  Ladona's geometry problem would make all three ladies late. 

Reverend Klempel, Mrs. Kempel, Marilyn Ruth, Ladona plus Royena and Sadie

SIX PEOPLE ARE DELAYED ON THEIR WAY TO CHURCH

 

The Fourth Delay

Since Mrs. Leonard Shuster was among the most prompt of the choir members, ordinarily she and her small daughter Susan would have been on time tonight. 

However, Mrs. Shuster had received a last minute phone call from her mother asking for a favor.  This forced Mrs. Shuster to make an unexpected detour over to her mother's house to help her mother get ready for a missionary meeting.

The delay caused Mrs. Shuster and Susan to be late for choir practice.

Reverend Klempel, Mrs. Kempel, Marilyn Ruth, Ladona, Royena, Sadie,
plus Mrs. Shuster and daughter Susan

EIGHT PEOPLE ARE DELAYED ON THEIR WAY TO CHURCH

The Fifth Delay

Herbert Kipf was a lathe operator.  He was late to choir practice that night because he wanted to finish writing a letter.   When asked later why finishing the letter was so important, Kipf replied, "Funny you should ask.  I can't think why."

Reverend Klempel, Mrs. Kempel, Marilyn Ruth, Ladona, Royena, Sadie, Mrs. Shuster, daughter Susan plus Herbert Kipf

NINE PEOPLE ARE DELAYED ON THEIR WAY TO CHURCH

The Sixth Delay

Machinist Harvey Ahl got distracted.  His wife was away, so he was busy watching his two boys that evening.  Mr. Ahl was planning to take the two boys with him to choir practice, but ended up playing with his sons.  In the process, he lost track of time.

By the time Harvey Ahl looked at his watch, to his surprise he realized he was already late.

Reverend Klempel, Mrs. Kempel and Marilyn Ruth, Ladona, Royena, Sadie, Mrs. Shuster, daughter Susan, Herbert Kipf plus Harvey Ahl and two sons

TWELVE PEOPLE ARE DELAYED ON THEIR WAY TO CHURCH

 

The Seventh Delay

Marilyn Paul was the choir pianist.  Due to her importance, Marilyn planned to arrive half an hour early to practice her songs for the evening.   However, Marilyn was feeling tired, so she decided to take a nap after dinner.  Marilyn fell into a deep sleep. 

At 7 pm, Martha Paul, Marilyn's mother, awakened her.  However, Marilyn fell right back to sleep.  At 7:15 pm, Mrs. Paul was annoyed to see Marilyn was still asleep.  She was forced to awaken her daughter a second time.

Mrs. Paul was fit to be tied.  As choir director, she was adamant that everyone be punctual.  Now her own daughter had made them both late.  Mrs. Paul was embarrassed they weren't setting a very good example. 

Reverend Klempel, Mrs. Kempel, Marilyn Ruth, Ladona, Royena, Sadie, Mrs. Shuster, daughter Susan, Herbert Kipf, Harvey Ahl, his two sons plus Marilyn Paul and Mrs. Paul

FOURTEEN PEOPLE ARE DELAYED GOING TO CHURCH
 

 

The Eighth Delay

Lucille Jones and Dorothy Wood were best friends in high school.  They were also next door neighbors who rode together for choir practice.

Lucille had a strong reputation for punctuality.   However on this night she had become mesmerized by a radio program.  The 7:00-7:30 pm program of This is Your Life featured the life story of Edgar Bergen, the famous ventriloquist and puppeteer.  Lucille simply could not tear herself away from the program until she knew the complete story.

Meanwhile Dorothy waited patiently as Lucille stayed glued to her radio program.

Reverend Klempel, Mrs. Kempel, Marilyn Ruth, Ladona, Royena, Sadie, Mrs. Shuster, daughter Susan, Herbert Kipf, Harvey Ahl, his two sons, Marilyn Paul, Mrs. Paul plus Lucille Jones and Dorothy Wood

SIXTEEN PEOPLE ARE DELAYED ON THEIR WAY TO CHURCH

 

 

The Ninth Delay

It was a cold March evening indeed.  As the stiff Nebraska winter breezes stirred the trees outside, stenographer Joyce Black dreaded facing the cold night air.

Although Ms. Black lived right across the street from the church, for some reason she could not force herself to go outside in the cold for the short walk.  Just thinking about the brief three-minute walk made her shiver.  Short on willpower, Joyce Black delayed leaving her cozy warm house till the last possible moment.  Finally her conscience kicked in and told her to get moving.  Glancing at her watch, it was 7:25.  Since Choir practice started at 7:20 pm, Ms. Black was already late. 

When later asked about it, Joyce Black replied she was feeling "just plain lazy".

Reverend Klempel, Mrs. Kempel, Marilyn Ruth, Ladona, Royena, Sadie, Mrs. Shuster, daughter Susan, Herbert Kipf, Harvey Ahl, his two sons, Marilyn Paul, Mrs. Paul, Lucille Jones, Dorothy Wood plus Joyce Black 

Nine separate delays caused SEVENTEEN PEOPLE to be late to Choir Practice.
 

Choir practice was scheduled for 7:20 pm.  The church had exploded at 7:25 pm. 

Any person who made it to the church on time would surely be dead. 

 

Meanwhile...

At the exact moment Joyce Black was staggered by the explosion, thanks to the various delays, seven different cars carrying sixteen people were late getting to the church.  Every single person had been saved from a fiery death because they were still on the road.  Moreover, they weren't just late, the entire group was at least ten minutes late.  How fortunate to have this life-saving margin.

The powerful roar of the explosion was so loud that it was heard in every corner of Beatrice.  Consequently each choir member arrived in a panic.  All sixteen people had distinctly heard the loud roar as they drove to practice.  Adding to their fear, the sound of the blast had come from the direction of their church.  If it was true the roar had come the West Side Church, the sound suggested someone had been hurt, maybe even killed. 

At the time of the blast, two cars were close enough for the people inside to witness the event.  One woman said she was so shocked she nearly drove off the road.  One by one, the choir members arrived at the burning church to behold the crimson flames.  Shocked and fearful, it crossed their minds how fortunate they were to have avoided a fiery death.  Grateful to be spared, their thoughts quickly turned to their friends at risk.  They were certain someone had lost their life in that fire.  The only question was how many. 

However, they need not have feared.  Through a very strange set of coincidences, not one person perished in the flames.

For that matter, no one was hurt.  Standing in the parking lot despite the cold, they huddled together and kept count with each new arrival.  Once the entire choir group had arrived, the individuals were stunned to realize every single person had been spared.  A profound sense of eeriness overwhelmed each individual.  Tears of gratitude poured out.  Then came the goose bumps.  Something very creepy was taking place.  As their nerves recovered, the choir members compared stories.  When viewed separately, the various delays were quite unremarkable.  It became apparent that each reason for lateness was both ordinary and totally unconnected.  However, once each reason was laid side by side with the other reasons, a strange hush came over the group.  They were in awe as they tried to grasp the enormity of this weird series of delays.  Typically one person in four was late on any given night, but never all 17.  To have everyone be late on the same night was one in a million.  Or maybe one in a billion.  No one had any idea how to calculate the likelihood.  All they knew was this was an unbelievable event.  Everyone in the group was convinced these weird delays had been an "Act of God."

Rick Archer's Note:

This crazy chain of mishaps is a perfect example of how a weird Coincidence can make people shake their head and wonder if there is more to this world than meets the eye.  In my opinion, the story of the Church Choir offers a compelling argument for the existence of mind control by an invisible being.  A review of the nine delays shows that each person was distracted in some way at the last minute.  Moreover, not one distraction was even slightly suspicious.  Were it not for the fact that 17 had been spared, no one would ever suspect their thoughts may have been secretly manipulated.

The concept of Guardian Angels assigned to protect and guide a particular person offers a possible explanation.  Could it be that Guardian Angels planted telepathic messages in the minds of the various church members?  I realize the existence of ESP is in dispute, but I disagree.  I have witnessed several experiences where ESP was the most likely explanation. 

What about Telekinesis?  In the case of the girl whose car would not start, is it possible a Hidden Hand disabled her vehicle?  I believe physical things can be manipulated from the Hidden World.  There was a painful event in my life where my car would not start.  The impact was so disastrous, I became suspicious.  For over a year my car had given me no trouble nor did it give me trouble the following day.  Could this strange mishap have been manipulated by a Hidden Hand?   

The story of Church Choir Coincidences demonstrates the possible link between Coincidence and Fate.  By itself, each of the nine events can be ignored.  However, once they are linked together, this event not only defies realistic explanation, it presents a strong case for the existence of Fate.