Almost without interruption, I have been religious all of my life, from the day I was born to committed parents.

Religious persons may not live so differently from others.

What distinguishes them, us, is how they react when crises befall them.

When my wife died in 2015, I was certain this was the darkest shadow that could envelop me.

I was wrong.

Diane’s death, more devastating than any previous human earthquake, was, however, anticipated. We had been told 16 months earlier that her life expectancy was 12-16 months.

My most recent human earthquake was neither predicted nor anticipated.

Dropped like a bomb in the night from an unexpected source, an immediate life-changing event that will have repercussions for years.

This must be where faith in G-d walks through the door, ready to serve as a stabilizing force when you never expected to need one.

How do you confront and withstand the shock?

If you are a journalist, you do this. You write about it with both hands while figuratively scratching your head in stunned wonder.

How could this happen? Weren’t safeguards in place?

Imagine walking through a desert on a warm sunny afternoon. Suddenly yu are engulfed in a rainstorm that threatens your life and tests your faith.