I was about to board a flight at Hobby Airport when a stranger tapped me on my shoulder to tell me how sorry he feels for what happened in Pittsburgh: "This should not happen in America... It is not who we are," he said with a pained face.
The next day, at Phoenix's Sky Harbour Airport nearly the very same thing happened again, "My wife and I are shocked and outraged," the airport worker told me.
Colleagues and friends have related that similar interactions have happened with them as well.
The test of character, it is often said, is revealed not as much by a particular negative event that takes place, but more so by how one reacts to it.
I think the same can be said about a country or society, that its inner heart and soul is exposed by how it reacts to trying events that occur.
As Houstonians, we have seen this only recently with Harvey, and as Americans we are seeing this once again with Pittsburgh.
Millions of people across America are truly horrified by the attack. America was founded on strong moral principles and despite the turmoil in the air -- or perhaps, in the airwaves -- these principles are strongly present and expressed by people from all walks of life and across the political spectrum.
I have no doubt that in the long run, that inner goodness will continue to flourish and spread and will ultimately prevail.
The Torah's vision for humanity is clear: That there will come a day when the Divine moral principles of the Seven Laws of Noah will be embraced by humanity. A time when the world will finally fulfill its inner potential, to be a place where kindness, goodness and G-dliness reigns.
Let us redouble our efforts to do our part to help make that good world a reality speedily in our days.
Rabbi Yitzchok Schmukler
PS I'm currently at the annual international conference of Chabad rabbis, where some 4,000 of us are working on how we - together with our respective communities - can enhance our efforts to achieve that goal, for the benefit of each and every Jew and for mankind!
PPS For more information about the Seven Laws of Noah, see: Seven Laws for a Beautiful Planet.