With some frequency, my wife and I look at each other and say – “life is really tough.” In the last 24 hours we have spoken with friends and loved ones hearing of their life difficulties, including: a spouse entering treatment for drug addiction; a first person witness of an attempted murder involving a pistol whipping and dousing of the victim in gasoline; the uncertainty of a possible final treatment option to stem the advance of a deadly form of cancer; and the difficulties of our son attempting to prepare for deployment to Iraq.

The week’s question and all of these incidents raise the problem (as other panelists have noted) of theodicy – how to justify the ways of God to those of us who are attempting to cope with the anxieties, fears, pain, and horrors which are thrust upon everyone by the awful stuff that happens in life.

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This week’s question seems to imply there are many persons who are apprehensive about questioning what they believe are the traditions of their faith. Without speculating on the source of this hesitation, I do know from experience that it is a common form of uncertainty.

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Last night there were two important phone conversations in my home regarding the war in Iraq.

One conversation was between my wife and a long time friend and work colleague. This friend’s son had just returned from his second tour of duty as a Marine platoon commander in Iraq.

The second call was from our son, an officer in the National Guard, telling us that his deployment to Iraq in January, 2008 is more certain than ever. The war remains a foreboding, daily presence in our home.

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