The truth is, Ive never been a big believer in destiny. I worry that it encourages resignation in the down-and-out and complacency among the powerful. I suspect that Gods plan, whatever it is, works on a scale too large to admit our mortal tribulations; that in a single lifetime, accidents and happenstance determine more than we care to admit; and that the best we can do is to try to align ourselves with what we feel is right and construct some meaning out of our confusion, and with grace and nerve play at each moment the hand that were dealt.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama