One of the accounts of creation in the Book of Genesis more or less suggests that God’s role was to make order out of chaos. If that’s so – and who am I to second-guess writing that has survived 26 centuries or so? – then at least two reactions seem reasonable.

First, we should take hope, folks: The chaos of our lives these days – pandemic, violence, political unrest, economic inequity and more – is all OK. It means creation is still underway, so more order lies ahead. That is, we’re becoming something that we’re not yet.

The second thought arises from that. Namely, those of you accustomed to regular communication with the Almighty may wish to exhort Him to kindly cut us some slack. Something like this may suffice: “With all due respect, Lord, much as we welcome a good challenge, we could do with a little less chaos just now. Amen.”

Granted, things have been worse, and just recently. We’re reminded of that with the news this week that yet another book will soon emerge about what is now …