Where do major catastrophes like the South Asian tsunami fit in the long train of prophetic events?
For several weeks after the disaster, newspapers and magazines regularly devoted several pages to the ongoing effects of the deadly tsunami that struck South Asia Dec. 26. Poignant accounts of tragic personal losses of family and friends put a human face on mounting death-toll statistics. Encouraging stories of incredible heroism and a groundswell of sympathy, expressed in generous contributions from countries all over the world, reminded us that we are our brother’s keeper. Inevitably, many religious leaders reacted with a desire to give both their followers and the general public a philosophical framework in which to deal with these unacceptable events. Some responses might be rather surprising. The title of one article was “If This Was an Act of God—What Was God Thinking?” The Archbishop of Canterbury, in an article in the Jan. 2 Sunday Telegraph, wrote: “The question—’How can you believe in a God who permits suffering on this scale?’ is therefore very much around at the moment, and
