Laughing at God

“We always have a great need for a faith which tells us that the impossible is possible.”

Miracles were the topic of Rabbi Olan’s December 3, 1967 radio sermon. The “Laughing at God” title is a reference to Genesis 18, where Sarah laughed at the notion that she would have a child at her advancecd age.

Her laughter is one of disbelief. Her husband is a hundred years old and she not much younger. The absurdity of their having a child borders on the ridiculous. Laughter is one of the responses to absurdity. Yet the Bible tells us that she had her son a year later and called him Isaac, which means “he will laugh.” His laughter, however, is that of faith. The impossible became real. The scorners, those of little faith, are now to be laughed at. Only a miracle could have brought it about and the miracle happened.

To “modern” mindsets, such miracles as are recorded in the Bible cannot happen today, and perhaps never happened at all. These are not days when old-fashioned miracles are in vogue. However, miracles do exist. Take a look around and you will perceive all kinds of new-fashioned miracles that most of us take for granted. In fact, today nothing is impossible!

I invite you to read or listen to the case that Rabbi Olan builds for not losing hope that the great crises facing humanity can be overcome.