"Can a shofar be blown in a city, and the people not tremble?" (Amos 3:6)



I find the above question incredibly distressing. When the long-awaited redemption or, G-d forbid, much-dreaded further destruction arrives, will we be aware of the awesome moment before us, or will we be too engrossed in ourselves and our activities? Will be able to hear over the incessant din of MTV and CNN? The normal sound of the shofar can be heard quite clearly in the quiet of the synagogue - when everybody waits in anticipation - but will we be able to hear it during rush hour on Madison Avenue?



What kind of immense and terrifying sound will it take before we listen to the wake-up call? But more importantly, once it?s heard, how will we react and what will we do with it?



The artist Edvard Munch may have come close to depicting this existential and frightening noise. In fact, he entitled his haunting canvas, ?The Scream?. Strangely enough, this is what he writes about the inspiration behind the painting....



"I was walking along the road with two friends.

The sun was setting.

I felt a breath of melancholy -

Suddenly the sky turned blood-red.

I stopped, and leaned against the railing, deathly tired - looking out across the flaming clouds that hung like blood and a sword

over the blue-black fjord and town.

My friends walked on - I stood there, trembling with fear.

And I sensed a great, infinite scream pass through nature."



Munch painted the masterpiece in Oslo (then known as Christiania) in the late 1800s. The image of a skeletal and horror-struck figure, clutching his ears and howling, has intrigued art historians and psychologists for decades - but more recently has piqued the imagination of scientists, geologists and writers.



Two weeks ago, it was widely reported that professors from Texas State University discovered that the skies did indeed turn a rather violent red over Oslo between 1883-84. This was due to a volcanic eruption that took place thousands of miles away on the island of Krakatoa in Indonesia. The blast was reportedly the loudest explosion on record and caused 40,000 deaths - mostly from the resulting tsunamis.



In another development, geologist and author Simon Winchester (Krakatoa: The Day The World Exploded) connects the eruption at Krakatoa in August 27, 1883 to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and political unrest in Indonesia. He seems to feel that the recent terrorist attack in Bali was a continuing aftershock of the volcanic eruption.



I don?t know if any of these connections are correct, but what I do find fascinating and promising is the crossover of art, science, literature, religion, politics and natural phenomena. If people were to recognize the common denominator that connects these various fields, then they would be one step closer to hearing the existential call of the shofar and connecting to their Creator. Under these conditions, we could step out of our current dark ages and help usher in a modern-day renaissance.



One hundred and twenty years after a distressed artist literally saw an infinite and cosmic scream, do the reverberations continue?



In an uncanny succession of events, back-to-back earthquakes of similar magnitude occurred within days of each other on opposite sides of the world. Ironically, the two countries affected are in the midst of an earthshaking cultural/religious clash.



An historic Iranian city made from mud and straw, that stood for 2,000 years, was leveled in seconds. Fluke of nature or act of G-d? The residents of Southern California may have breathed a sigh of relief and are grateful that their cities were constructed of concrete and steel, but what would have happened if the area were hit by an 8.0 magnitude quake? The truly introspective person would have come to the stunning realization that they or their loved ones could have been trapped under the rubble that they?re watching via satellite from the comfort of their living room, and that somehow, we?re all involved in this cosmic play.



Two and a half years ago, America?s towering symbols of commerce, which were created from the strongest man-made materials, were decimated in moments. And the invincible Pentagon building was pierced to its core. Hardly an accident.



Solar storms, storms on Mars, bizarre weather patterns on earth, wildfires, mudslides, avalanches, earthquakes, floods, strange diseases, unprecedented violence and unrest; a rapid deterioration of sound morals, values and ethics; a wretched decline in the quality of art, music and culture in general; and an all encompassing macro- to microcosmic decay of the very foundations of the world we live in. Is there a connection?



To claim that we understand G-d?s plan is outright arrogance, but to deny his hand in the workings of the universe is utter ignorance and the embodiment of narcissism.



In a world that has obsessively compartmentalized and specialized knowledge all the way down to nanotechnology, we have lost sight of the big picture. And some of us, who have dared to look, are left desperately trying to make order from the chaos. And so the Munches and Van Goghs of the world teeter on the verge of madness, because they perceive something immense, and yet they don?t know what to do with it. If today?s artists, musicians, poets and gifted individuals could diminish their enormous egos in favor of their outstanding sensitivity and perception, then they would be able to contribute to the world and thrive, rather than self-destruct.



There is a redemptive quality in truly recognizing and fearing one?s Creator. Because with that acknowledgment comes solid ground and a sense of clarity. Perhaps recognizing G-d in the workings of nature and the universe, and being able to make that connection, is an indication of true advancement and growth.



It seems that our devout and gifted ancestors were far from being primitive and superstitious - they possessed ?wisdom, discernment and knowledge.?



?Can a shofar be blown in the city, and the people not tremble?? Given the unstable circumstances of today?s world and the tendencies of many of the people in it, perhaps we should rephrase the question: Can a shofar fail to be heard by the people, and a city not tremble?