Omer 2017 Day 8: After the Tornado

Omer Introduction | Day 7 | Day 9

Day 8: Chesed in Gevurah, Kindness in Justice

After the Tornado by Jim's Big Ego

Bad things happen
to the kindest people
God and the Devil
are kind of hard to tell apart

All faiths struggle to reconcile the idea of an all-powerful God with an unjust world. We see it in the Book of Job, in Harold Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People, and countless sermons given by clergy in the wake of tragedies.

This song struggles with the devastating aftermath of a tornado, which has torn through a town and shaken the faith of the singer, who notes that "everything is wrong." When bad things happen, it is natural to look for a reason, but we know that sometimes there is no reason. Today, let's focus not on why bad things happen, seeking justice or meaning in a natural disaster or tragedy, but look for the kindness and love displayed by people afterward. We coordinate relief efforts, volunteer, donate - these outpourings of kindness attempt to right what has gone wrong and bring a sense of justice, strength, and resilience to an otherwise unjust situation.

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