JANUARY 31
God is serious about knowing how it is with us.
—WILLIE S. TEAGUEIn his best-selling book When Bad Things Happen to Good
People, Rabbi Harold Kushner writes of his sense of God
being present to his suffering and that of his family as his
young son grew desperately ill and died. That God did not
cause that suffering, but in some way shared it, and was
present to comfort and sustain.
A friend tells of driving along one day and having a sud-
den flash of conviction that God cared for him—“that God
really loved me, David. I rolled down the car window and
sang,” he says, and smiles, bemused and grateful.
Listening, I am grateful, too. Yes, I think. I have felt that
way sometimes.
To whatever extent we feel creation is more than a random
happenstance, surely it must be safe to say that God cares
for us. If I had created anything of such magnitude, I would
pay close attention. I would want to know how it was doing.
Sometimes in my darkness I can believe I am held in a love which
supports all creation. Not always, but sometimes.