The recent earthquake in Haiti asks many questions, not least of which is ‘how can I help?’ The truth is: there is little most of us can do to alleviate the suffering today, tomorrow or even in the coming weeks. The food, fresh water and other aid has already been paid for. Much of it is already on the Island waiting to be dispatched and the workers with the necessary skills are queuing up to do their bit. Having said that I would in no way discourage giving because the suffering will go on long after the media has found another crisis to report (which is what the media does, no criticism there). But the burning question on everyone’s mind is: How did it happen and why?

Of course the movement of the tectonic plates was the main event, and being so close to the surface it had a devastating effect. However the terrible loss of life and consequential suffering would have been lessened significantly if the buildings had been constructed to any sort of standard. Rationally you could say that it was the combination of an unfortunate event and human failure, be it corruption, neglect or injustice. But there is still a deeper question.

If there is a God how could he allow this to happen? To ask this question in order to demonstrate that there is no God would be a little pointless. If you want to shake your fist at God you must either allow him to answer or concede that the supreme ruler is capricious and uncaring. This is worse than pointless, it is hopeless. Without hope we are doomed. Our only hope is that there is a God out there who cares, who has grace enough to hear our cries and accept our unbelief when hope flies in the face of all that our senses tell us. If we can have some scrap of an explanation, just enough to know that we are not simply pawns on a soulless chess board, we will find some sense in this cruel and confusing world.

Of course you could always ask the tele-evangelist Pat Robertson what his take is on this disaster. Apparently its down to the devil because the Haitians made a pact with him in 1804 in order to win their independence from their European slave masters. Honest. That’s so simple and neat and leaves God off the hook. Thanks Pat.