Still more God and tsunami

The website for evangelical Christian magazine Christianity Today has several excellent articles, commentaries and links dealing with the disaster and God's presence. There are also disaster relief links and suggestions for prayer in times of disaster.

More on the question, "Where was God in the tsunami?"

More commentators have been weighing in on the question of God's presence/involvement or lack thereof in the recent tsunami disaster in south Asia. Columnist William Safire draws on the biblical character of Job to arrive at a threefold conclusion in his January 11, 2005 column "Where was God in this? It's an old question."

(1) Victims of this cataclysm in no way "deserved" a fate inflicted by the Leviathanic force of nature.
(2) Questioning God's inscrutable ways has its exemplar in the Bible and need not undermine faith.
(3) Humanity's obligation to ameliorate injustice on earth is being expressed in a surge of generosity that refutes Voltaire's cynicism.

Eastern Orthodox theologian David B. Hart also has an excellent response on the Wall Street Journal Opinion page for December 31, 2004 entitled "Tremors of Doubt: What kind of God would allow a deadly tsunami?".

This article on the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams' comments about the disaster gives a glimpse into his struggle with the question.

The disintegration of something I held dear

I have been an avid sports fan. Growing up in the Minneapolis-St. Paul MN area, I have always loyally supported Minnesota teams. Lately, I have found it more and more difficult to support my teams (any teams for that matter) with any kind of enthusiasm. The most recent antics of Minnesota Viking wide receiver Randy Moss (walking off the field before the Washington game was concluded, his faux mooning of the Green Bay Packer fans) has really disappointed me in the team. Few people in the Viking organization are confronting him. They certainly don't have the guts to risk benching him in the playoffs, even though he is classless and arrogant. I'm grieving because I don't have a team I like or am proud of. Playing and following sports has been a pleasurable aspect of my life . . . that pleasure seems to be rapidly disintegrating.

Meet Harry Iron Kidd

I found an interesting website about pirates a few days ago. In it was a link to a pirate name generator. I answered the questions and the generator revealed my name as "Harry Iron Kidd." It's an interesting diversion. I guess interesting diversions are one more thing to be thankful for!

Where my blog got its name

I wrote a poem based on a dream I had. The dream became a metaphor for my spiritual journey. I was an officer on a submarine. I call it:

Sub-Mariners

We are travelers
Sub-mariners in a murky, viscous world
Fooled into believing
This is our home

Prophets and pray-ers
Expose the truth
Tear the skin, allowing danger in
So we can see

We like it here
Though we cannot breathe or truly live free
Our bellies filled
With empty calories

Neck deep in truth
Panic sets in
Our fragile ship
Cannot be saved

Reluctantly
We don our survival suits
And make the ascent
To the Surface

December 7, 2002

Enjoy, reflect, respond!