Some people do not believe in coincidences. They believe everything is random and there is no order to anything. These people tend to be scientific to the point that they minimize any spiritual belief in their world. To them reality is only what they see, touch and feel. They like to believe they have the world under their thumb and that they hold all the cards. Once in a while though things happen that contradict that apparent belief system, yet I know such events probably do not change their minds. All I ask is that you read this morning's contributions with an open mind and consider them filed under "Random or not?"

The first item I found on "The Telegraph," an English news website. In March an obviously distraught man decided that he needed to end it all. It was a Wednesday around 11 p.m. when police were called to London Bridge to deal with the suicidal man.As part of the response, a lifeboat was also dispatched to his location on the bridge. What happened next is amazing. When the rescue personnel arrived on the boat they found another man below the bridge in heavy clothing struggling to survive in the icy cold waters. He was hypothermic and confused as to how he came to be in the river.Fortunately for him the boat was there to deal with the potential suicide and they pulled him from the water. He was alert but had no idea how he came to be where he was in the river. The rescue personnel said there was no doubt if they had not been called to the scene when they were he definitely would have died. Is it possible that synchronicity put these two men together at that site at the same time?Some coincidences are not so life-altering but are curious nonetheless. "The Wizard of Oz," a beloved family film which prior to our lifestyle of instant gratification was only shown on television once a year. During the film, Dorothy meets Professor Marvel after running away from Mrs. Gulch, who wanted to destroy Toto for biting her. In order for the costumers to meet the demands of the character to look a little seedy and dubious, they went to a secondhand store to buy a tattered coat for actor Frank Morgan to wear during the scene. It was not until the coat was already on the set that a close examination of the lining revealed the suit coat's original owner, one L. Frank Baum, the author of the beloved story.History is full of amazing coincidences which I believe should make us pause. For example, one of the greatest empires in history was the Roman Empire. The empire, which spanned over one millennium in one form or another, was supposedly founded by Romulus.The first emperor who seized control of Rome and established what became the western empire was named Augustus. Over time the empire was divided into an eastern empire which last until 1453 when the Ottomans conquered Constantinople and a western empire which fell in 473. The coincidence in this history lesson is that the last emperor of the western empire, the original one, was named Romulus Augustulus, a derivative of the first emperor's name.I have written in a previous column about the famous Titan, a story that was penned years before the Titanic sunk and the many coincidences between that fictional story and its very real counterpart, but here is a lesser-known story that has an eye-raising coincidence. In 1838, Edgar Allen Poe wrote his only novel, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket." In the tale, Pym finds himself on a boat called the Grampus. During the voyage the ship is destroyed in a storm and he finds himself on a lifeboat with two other sailors and a cabin boy. As their chance for survival fades, they find themselves forced to choose between life and death. They make the horrific decision to sacrifice one of the quartet for food. They draw straws, and the cabin boy named Richard Parker loses and ends up being killed to nourish the crew members.In 1884, a yacht named the Mignonette was destroyed in a storm near the Cape of Good Hope. Four sailors ended up in the lifeboat. After being stranded on the flimsy boat for over a week, the cabin boy became ill and slipped into a coma. The desperate men talked themselves into cannibalizing the comatose boy. They ended up killing him. His name was Richard Parker.One last coincidence. Our founding fathers risked life, liberty and property to create this country and liberate it from England. These patriots went on to devote their lives in service to the country with at least four becoming Presidents, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and James Madison. Fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was sent to King George III and after all four served in various capacities including as Presidents, a fitting conclusion occurred.On July 4, 1826, two of our Founding Fathers, Jefferson and Adams were on their deathbeds. During the afternoon of that important day, Jefferson whispered, "Is it the Fourth?" and then slipped into death. Hours later Adams drew his last breath, and in his final words he said, "Jefferson survives" not knowing his friend and fellow patriot died hours before him. Five years later, fellow founder President James Monroe passed away on July 4, regretting he would never see his friend President James Madison again. Madison himself died five years later, but missed the fourth by almost one week.Coincidence or random circumstances? Judge for yourself.Till next time …