"Oh, My God!"
How many of us have cried “Oh, My God” in the last six years as we have seen horrific events unfold? The attacks of 9/11 and the destruction and aftermath of Katrina are certainly two times many of us have had that reaction. Both of these events were genuine tragedies; both were tragedies that involved an enormous helping of human callousness and downright evil.
Both times I have asked myself (and been asked), “Where do we begin as religious leaders to help people make sense of the senseless?”
Lament is one way. The cry from the heart helps us express the anger and outrage
that are there in each of us. After 9/11, we at CTS read the Psalms each day in chapel at noon. We began with Psalm 22, changing the pronouns to reflect our corporate response: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken us? Why are you so far from helping us, from the words of our groaning?” Where are you, God? How could you let this happen? Where could God possibly be in acts so vile?”
Where is God when people who were too poor to leave New Orleans drown from a massive hurricane? Where was God in the response that was too little too late?
Several theological themes can help us reflect out of our pain and frustration.
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