Tsunami Theology

The magnitude of this disaster is multiplied
when we realize that these very areas most
devastated by the tsunamis are among the
most impoverished and helpless regions of
the earth. On December 26, families were
washed away, children were ripped from
their parents' arms, and suffering beyond
description settled upon the earth. Why?

That question comes immediately to the
mind of any sensitive person, and any
individual whose mind is allowed to rest
for even a moment upon the magnitude
of this disaster. At the first level, the
scientific explanation seems clear. A
massive earthquake, registering over
9.0 on the Richter scale, occurred more
than six miles beneath the surface of
the Pacific, just off the Indonesian island
of Sumatra. In an instant, one of the
most beautiful parts of the world became
one of the most deadly, as successive
mountains of water radiated from the
epicenter of the quake and headed for
some of the earth's most densely populated
coastal areas. The sliding of tectonic
plates beneath the surface of the ocean
led to massive devastation and a tidal
wave of grief and questions.

How do Christians explain this kind of
suffering? What do we have to say about
the meaning of an event like this? In
short order, questions like these found
their way to the front pages of the news-
papers and the front lines of our cultural
conversation. All too soon, confusion was
evident, as various religious leaders offered
advice and counsel.

MORE:

http://xrl.us/eknz

http://xrl.us/ekn2