Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 17, 2020

Pandemics, wars and natural catastrophes usually confront us with religious questions that are as old as religions themselves. Among them, where is God in all this mess? Or, why is God allowing such pain to come our way? We want to know; we need some answers and we wont stop until we get them. In these troubling times, we crave a measure of certainty.

But before I share with you a bit of my personal theology, let me tell you some of the things in which I do not believe. I dont believe, for example, that the current pandemic is a divine punishment. Not only that, I am deeply disappointed with those using the fears and anxieties created by the spread of COVID-19 as an excuse to lobby for their personal agendas. In the last few days I read about people saying that the pandemic is Gods punishment because we normalized homosexuality, because we continue to allow abortions in our country and because of the sinful nature of the West. I even learned about a pastor who is preaching that the coronavirus is spreading in synagogues because Jews denied Jesus, so that the remedy to the plague is to repent and embrace him as savior.

I have multiple issues with these discourses. First of all, they pretend to know Gods will, which to me comes very close to the highest form of hubris possible. Second, they portray a theological picture of God that may resemble some aspects of the biblical theology without taking into account the fact that the Bible is a book written 2,000 years ago. I may be able to understand why the Bible describes certain moments as divine punishments back in the day. What I cant condone is contemporary religious leaders using the same old tools to present a false sense of certainty that not only is incorrect but also alienates people, stigmatizes folks who may be already dealing with the virus and pushes for the restriction of rights of citizens of this nation.

I dont see God in the plague. As we learn how the world works, we should know that every now and then, viruses coming from animals can mutate and infect human beings. Thats not divine punishment but the laws of nature. The virus causing COVID-19 will kill many of us until a cure is found, something that we hope will happen in the upcoming months.

It is there, in the resilience and the tireless job of those who are trying to come up with a vaccine against the virus, that I see God. It is in their use of information, in their mapping of the viruss genome in record time and in the working together beyond borders for the greater good that I see God being manifested, as all of those scientists are becoming partners with God in creation. I see God in the first responders who are risking everything for the sake of other human beings. I see God in the hands and hearts of the physicians who are tending with care to those who are suffering the most.

Whether all these people believe in God or not is irrelevant, because the point here is to work hand in hand (or in these times, elbow to elbow) in bringing humanity to a better place. When that happens, God is closer to us. When we shine with our best light, we make room for God to be present in our midst. Not through punishments and pain but through love, empathy and compassion.

I am deeply thankful to these scientists, physicians and first responders, for all they are doing. I am proud of them and I am sure you are proud as well. So, if you like to pray, I hope youll pray with me so that God will continue to inspire them and strengthen them, as they continue to do heavenly work, as they do their best to save us and as they put themselves at risk for the sake of humanity. And, while you pray, please stay at home, so that you can help them while they do their jobs. If we keep a healthy physical distance for the time being, we will be able to take care of them and, in that way, we will also become partners with God in weathering this challenging storm.

We can do it. God is counting on us.

Rabbi Joshua Kullock has served as the Rabbi of the West End Synagogue in Nashville since 2013.

Continued here:

Where is God in the pandemic? - Opinion - The Daily Herald - Columbia, TN - Columbia Daily Herald

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