In the Middle Ages, Christian Europe was subjected to the Black Death,
which carried off between a quarter and a half of the population. 
However it had also come across from Asia as far as I know.

Was this the wrath of God?  And if so, why?

I don't think it was.  Human life has always been lived on the edge,
and modern Western society owes its long livedness and generally good
lifestyle not to Divine Favour, but to machinery, technology,
education and a number of other things.

White races taking land by force, stealth and technological
supreriority from tribal societies such as the North and South
American Indians, Australian aborigines and New Zealand Maoris is not
exactly Christian.

But that is how we got such huge reserves of resources, a "fresh
start" and a number of other advantages.  Tough luck for the indigines
though.

One of the things we will be judged on however is our response to the
plight of the poor and destitute as a result of this tragedy.  I note
that Time in its latest issue includes a comment on its last page by a
guest writer that the USA gives less than 15 cents per hundred dollars
of GDP in overseas aid, but spends at least 30 times that on the
military.

Note that Christ told us that many will be condemned not on what they
did, but on what they did not do ie. when we failed to help the least
of His brothers in jail, or sickness, or destitution, or starvation,
we failed to help Him.  In short, as Mother Teresa would put it,
Christ came to her in the hideous disguise of the leper.  But in a
society obsessed with "success" and material wealth, I don't see many
of us getting an entry pass to heaven.

The Tsunami dead, poor as most of them were, are probably watching the
world of the living to see how we react to those who are left.  And
Christ is watching us with them, and noting what we do.

Or don't do.

Bob Crowley.
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