September 22, 2005
natural disasters and faith
ROB pauses at the top of the exterior spiral staircase of the Swenson building, and watches the ripples on the pond below |
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"Allah is really angry," said a friend as we watched the fearful symmetry of Hurricane Rita consolidating and moving relentlessly --- at a jogger's pace --- toward the gulf coast. Natural disasters will either affirm one's faith or rock it, but they won't leave it alone. The great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 was a key event in the history of the Enlightenment, and was called by some critics "the end of optimism." Every thinker took a side, many concluding that the event was evidence of a failure of authority ---- specifically the failture of the supreme diety's benevolence or his power. How will our culture spin this double hit of category fives? And it's not even the gnarly part of hurricane season --- that is October. |
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