Judaism

What I found fascinating in today's lecture was the fact that some believed in the hurt method of showing there understanding and love for god. I find this strange but not to strange since in some cases people love the feeling of pain and are addicted to it. Some people are addicted to piercing, tattoos or other things to show their religious views. The only thing I want to know is why there is any question of where God was when the Jews were being persecuted. My thought is that God was with them he was carrying them. My favorite poem about god is Footprints in the Sand by Mary Stevenson.

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many Scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life, there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?"
The Lord Replied, "The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you."