We just listened to this amazing book review on NPR . Making Toast, written by Roger Rosenblatt, is about grandparents who moved in with their 38 year old daughter's three children and her husband after she died suddenly.
Much of the book is about Grandpa Rosenblatt's struggles with his faith in God - how does a benevolent, loving God allow such senseless tragedies? Why do bad things happen to good people , when to quote an ED doc I worked with, "scum rises to the top"? What infinite plan depends on the suffering of innocent people?
People who know me know that I have "issues" with religion. One of my first dates with the Captain was to see What Dreams May Come. I ended up bawling - why does a woman who committed suicide because her children died end up going to Hell? Didn't she suffer enough? What's the point?
So, I like what Roger Rosenblatt arrived at as he tried to make sense of things -if there is a God, he set things spinning and said, "good luck". Somehow that makes far far more sense to me than trying to understand the reason things happen. James Joyce has the same idea - get over the idea that God is watching and orchestrating from on high - he's just "paring his nails".
On a positive note, it's wonderful to hear about good people stepping up to the plate to do the best they can and in the process, making life better for everyone around them. Seems like that may be all there is , and it's good enough for me.
Just found your blog and I've enjoyed reading and looking. This post is very thought provoking..and that's good. I was always taught that everything has to pass through the "God filter" for it to happen to us. You're right; there's so many things that do not make sense and they never will. I think there are things we just have to make peace with in order to move forward. We lost my husband's son almost five years ago and I still struggle with 'why'. I am a believer though but even believers struggle. Keep on writing!
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