Of this I know

My world shook for a second, and I recognized it immediately as an earthquake.

It is the second time that I have felt the earth jolt during my 10-month adventure here in Berkeley. This quake was not as strong as the first one. I pause for a second or two, not really knowing how earthquakes go, to see if the shaking would continue. But it is here only for a brief second and then it is gone.

There is no pause in the laughter from the courtyard and I wonder if the quake was felt at ground level. Still, my experience tells me that I felt the building shake and heard the slight windlike sound whether it’s confirmed by anyone or not. This surety surprises me as I have been unsure of most things these days and have been struggling with the concept of the existence of God, especially in relation to the upheaval in the world.

Why is it easy to accept my experience of earthquake after two brief encounters and not my experience of God after a lifetime of experience? Is the difference that one can be measured on earth and the other one too omnipresent to calculate?

I have been burdened with my questions at this semester’s end and have found myself wanting in my lack of answers and clarity.

But in this instance, I am happy with the questions raised and that California did not fall into the ocean, today.