Q

uestion

143

Why do so many religions seem to have such

similar fundamental stories, like the flood and

creation stories? Are they from a common

source?

Craig Detweiler

A.

Sacred texts and stories often arise out of problems. Some trials are

physical; others are more existential or philosophical in nature. In

a world in which weather could rarely be predicted or crops could

barely be maintained, an understanding of where creation came from and how

it could mastered made sense. The core questions of human existence continue

to haunt us all. Death is a great leveler that defi es most explanation. Natural

disasters add another level of fear and powerlessness.

How do you explain fl oodwaters that wipe out entire cities? Was God

angry? Could any good arise from such devastation? The Epic of Gilgamesh

and the biblical story of Noah offer ways to deal with tragedy. The book of

Genesis offered a rainbow of hope, an “olive branch” echoed in the animated

fi lm Wall-E.

Unfortunately, such vexing catastrophes continue to haunt us. A tsu-

nami tested Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Hurricane Katrina tried the

faith of New Orleans. A cruel earthquake leveled Haiti. Politicians, poets, and

playwrights have all tried to explain what happened and why. We continue

to wrestle with such questions of theodicy, how a good God can preside over

such random or cruel events.

Even more fundamentally, where did we come from? How do we explain

our roots? Religion (and literature) are good at answering the big “why” ques-

tions. In the Bible, we have religion and literature combined in powerful

ways. We are loved, cared for, and defended—even when it doesn’t look or

feel like it.