While an avid discussion of the political and social agenda abounds, the place of solitude as a means for the individual to work for peace in a chaotic world is rare. Thomas Merton gave a clear example of the way in which solitude coupled with concern and writing can contribute to peace and redemption, and it is this kind of solitude I solicit. As we dwell on the wake of a Tsunami, it may be usefull to ponder that while action will clear the physical wreckage, the psychic damage will take generations to heal, and in that, still solitude may play a simple part

To often appeals to theodicy and theological explanations of tragic events become terse simplifications, doing little justice to the unfathomable. We feel obliged to "say something", much like the friends of the ancient Job. Not often enough are biblical approximations of inexplicable suffering cognisant of Job:

[(Job 1:1-3) In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.]

And yet it was this righteous and blameless, God-fearing one, this innocent, from whom all was swept away. With all his family bar his wife dead, all his property lost and his own physical wellbeing afficted beyond the beyond, he still grasps at a reverence of the infinite and our small place in it:

[(Job 1:21-22) "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.]

I really don't know what I'd do if I had everything swept away.

This is good, well said.....some recognition of the bankruptcy of Secular humanism and secularism in general.

"Finally, I think he loathed himself for subduing the very faith he thought religion denied us. Like many other estranged men, he shouldered Nietzsche’s hazardous scepticism: “No! Come back, with all your torments! All the streams of my tears run their course to you. Oh come back, my unknown God. My pain! My last happiness!”

So, what does a protestant conservative evangelical former missionary have to say to 'explain' these awful events ? I have a simple answer.. when it comes to Tsunamis.. its rather down to earth.

"He who buildeth his dwelling on low lying coastal land, when knowing of the possibility, should not blame God, when they come."

Simplistic ? offensive ? I don't know, but one thing I know, that without God, we are left with the quote from Neitzche above. Too many off us ask 'where was GOD !!!!! when such and such happened"? but where were WE, when we had the opportunity to worship him, have fellowship with His people, be renewed in our hearts and minds and wills and reshape our society as we are called to do, as salt and light. Where did we go when we had the opportunity to live the last 20 yrs of our lives for HIM, rather than satisfy ourselves with all this worlds goods not caring enough to give Him even one day a week or even an hour or 2 of that week.

Its so easy to point to the nearest natural disaster and use the old furphy "If God is all powerful, and all Loving" how could this happen ? well.. rather than try to answer that, I refer the reader to begin at Genesis and finish at Revelation, then talk about it. Take the trouble to understand what God has said to us, how we should live, and conduct our lives. Its amazing how things will fall into perspective. Lets not hide behind some bad experience or event to justify our lack of interest in or committment to our Creator.

Possum, that was bordering on the mystical.. and as I saw it, was a projection of our post modern western world view on how to understand events such as the tsunami. I seriously doubt that a lot of societies other than ours look at it that way, they kind of pick themsleves up and move on. Look at the Rape of Nanjing.. the chinese still buy Japanese cars by the shipload..

It seems one of our most practiced arts is that of morbid introspection. Withdrawing,contemplating.. grasping.. etc. meanwhile the next rice crop is needing to be planted.. or we die of starvation. We have so many things which insulate us from the daily realities that others face, that we have time to 'ponder in quietness...about peace' ?

My sister in law has just faced the sad loss of her only son in Borneo. He was 10 yrs old and they tried for a boy 5 times before he was born. Then.. only for him to reach 10 and be burned alive in a house fire, along with a daughter.It happened because of a candle which was knocked over .. they are all Christian. How do we cope with that ? Do we look for "God answers" ? Not really, we just tell her we don't understand, we never will in this life, we surround her with love and help her to recover.. It Happened not because God was not there, but because a candle fell over.

Come out of that 'quiet' room mate.. engage with the world as it is, and lets all change it, preferrably in the Spirit of Christ.

Why not judge God?If we think God is doing an awful job,tell him/her.Why should we be scared of a being who is doing a crook job.I don't care about burning in hell for eternity,I am free and beyond that bullshit forever.

Yes lets not have a secular society let's outlaw all religions.