Opinion

All it takes: 1% god's grace



‘Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration’ – this saying has been attributed to American inventor Thomas Alva Edison. He believed that the secret behind the success of people like him was mainly hard work; a spark of inspiration played only a minor role. Certainly. But isn’t there something else? More often than not, it is a 1% of divine grace that makes genius happen.

Look at how Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. Upon returning from a vacation, Fleming checked on colonies of staphylococcus bacteria growing in Petri dishes in his laboratory. Bar one dish that had been kept uncovered, next to an open window. He found that the bacteria surrounding a mould that grew in that dish had all died. The mould, a fungus called penicillium notatum, was isolated, cultured and produced in quantity, giving us penicillin, the first modern antibiotic.

Some would dismiss such a discovery to chance. Maybe, but there is that wee little bit of God’s grace that results in something good. Seneca, the stoic Roman philosopher, said, ‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.’ Perhaps, this opportunity arises due to the unseen hand of God extended to the deserving, without which the magic of a new idea that no one had thought of, would not happen.

The inspiration or the opportunity is granted to those who are committed and dedicated. They may not be devout worshippers, but they are striving to push forward the boundaries of knowledge in order to benefit mankind.



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