The Vestibule (returning soon)

In the perennial questionings of the human mind after the ways of God there are four typical forms of perplexity. The first and most common is the question of circumstances. The injustice and inequality that obtain, the unequal distribution of the blessings of life, the superabundance of prosperity which the few enjoy at the expense of the masses, give rise to the question, How can such a condition be tolerated in the dominions of a God of absolute justice a God that considers the poor, and is the friend of the fatherless and the widow? In addition to this strange condition of affairs there are times when the fates seem to array themselves against man. The varied factors which spin out the web of our existence seem to combine their efforts, and conspire to defeat individual effort. The convergence of circumstances in shaping unfavorable conditions at times results in tragic issues. Unbalanced by the strain of prolonged adversity, the mind loses all sense of proportion. Brooding over trouble, men forget the tempering influences that are ever at work, despair of life all round, and either seek to drown their sorrow in wine or escape it altogether by suicide. This aspect of perplexity is presented in Proverbs, "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter in soul; let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.