Planes drop out of the sky, killing all passengers. Mini-dictators initiate programs of genocide against neighbors. Forces of nature storm across the landscape, leaving devastation in their path. Bizarre individual behavior leaves heads shaking, "How can anyone do such things?" Accidents at home and on the highway steal loved ones away.

All this gives credence to the sardonic line of a poem, which begins, "It's a wonderful world to be born into, if you don't mind a touch of hell now and then."

How do we respond to "a touch of hell now and then"?

Do we go on a binge of moralism, chiding the sinfulness of a wicked world? Do we start off on a tirade against the irresponsible decisions people make? Over cups of coffee, do we chastise parents for ineffectiveness in exercising control and inf…