God and suffering

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Harold Kushner holds a special place in my heart even in disagreement. Kushner, perhaps the best-known rabbi in the United States, is a prolific author. One of his nonfiction books, 1986's "When All You've Wanted Isn't Enough," helped me decide to go to seminary. As I read his words in a bed and breakfast in Cooksburg, Pa., it occurred to me that God might be calling me to full-time Christian service. (I recommend the book to anyone who is restless with a chosen life path.) The other day, the venerable 74-year old clergyman spoke on National Public Radio. Several men in my congregation commented on his remarks. Kushner said he often receives thanks about his most famous work, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." Many seem to consider it to be a landmark treatise on suffering. The book is nearly 30 years old and yet is still quoted with remarkable frequency within the circles in which I move.

To continue reading
For more than 115 years, the Southeast Missourian has written the first draft of local history. We have aspired to enrich, entertain, educate and inform. Our core values have remained firm: truth, service, quality, integrity and community. Support our mission.