Why? What Does it Mean?

This post does not answer either of the title questions. In fact you will get 30 minutes of interesting listening and zero answers from reading this. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I have been feeling overwhelmed at times as I listen to coverage of the devastation of Haiti. It stirs so many emotions and questions. I realize the self-centered arrogance of my saying I have a "bad day" because of frustrating vendors and phone conferences. How lucky am I that that is the extent of my bad day?!

When I cannot digest anymore NPR coverage, I have been catching up on my Radiolab (favorite podcast of all time) listening and discovered I had missed one of the shorts from April 2009. "In Silence" is a sermon/speech which co-host Robert Krulwich shared with his synagogue and with Radiolab listeners.

In this speech, Krulwich takes a look at the stories of both Abraham and Noah. He sets the stage, gives the biblical context, and then looks at the horrible conundrums faced by both of these men--one asked by God to sacrifice his own son, the other faced with watching the entire planet drown. For much of both of these bible stories, both men are silent, but what do these silences mean? Please click here when you have 26 minutes to listen to a masterful storyteller take on two stories which most of us take for granted.

It felt eerie how timely this podcast felt right now. How do we absorb the level of human suffering in Haiti? What can you choose to believe when presented with such devastation? There are no easy answers, but I felt that Krulwich looked at a very stark reality and came to a conclusion that I felt is both realistic and tentatively hopeful. I hope it brings you some peace and calm as well.