Who has known the mind of the Lord? Apparently Governor Andrew Cuomo has. "God did not stop the spread of the virus," he declared recently. "The number is down because we brought the number down. God did not do that." His remarks created no stir in the media, nor does his popularity appear to have been affected, though many New Yorkers consider themselves religious.

The governor seems to have weighed God in the balance and found him useless, though the role of God in human affairs has been acknowledged in this nation since its founding. The Signers issued their declaration "with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence." And even President Kennedy, considered a liberal in his day, concluded his inaugural address by asking God's "blessing and His help," and recognizing that "here on earth, God's work must truly be our own."

"In God We Trust," the national motto of the United States, sums up the faith of a nation.

As he stormed the ramparts of Thebes, Capaneus, "though a mere mortal," sent "a loud and swollen boast to Zeus in heaven," defying him to save the city. The governor also, in his own way, seems to be putting God to the test, daring him not to save, but to destroy New York.

Kevin Beary

Colton