Shortly after 9/11, I recall journalist Tom Brokaw's haunting question in closing an edition of the evening news: "What's next?" Now, skimming the first few pages of the newspaper, my eyes fall on threatening words—smallpox, germ warfare, vaccinations. ...
The threat of warfare by spreading contagious diseases like smallpox is disturbing, not only because of the maliciousness of such an intent, but also because there is a helplessness associated with it. Germs seem like an invisible weapon that can easily cross international borders. And the known remedy for something like smallpox is fraught with complications.
Searching for spiritual answers to a threat like this one requires people to face some hard questions. One might ask, "Is there a God? Do I believe in God? Is God really all good? Is this danger too big, too awful, too powerful, or too elusive to be eliminated?" The answer to that one is, "No, it is not."
