Where was God when the Tsunami hit?

The Tsunami of December 26 2004, in Southeast Asia is said to be the worst natural disaster of all time. Hopefully, it will remain as the worst for those who survived this unprecedented event and also for the rest of us who only saw the heart-rending scenes on television.

In the aftermath of this devastating Tsunami that claimed more than 150,000 lives in 11 countries, people everywhere are reportedly asking some of these deep faith questions.

• "Where was God when the Tsunami hit?"
• "How does this impact people's faith in God?"

The answer to these and many other questions may never be satisfactorily answered. In fact, these may not even be the right questions to ask.

Ironically though, the answer to a very similar question, "Where was Jesus when the tragedy occurred?" arrived in homes across North America only a few days before the Tsunami ravaged the lives of so many people. The answer is in an article that recounts a true-life experience in the ocean. Please take a moment to read it and if you are so inclined, share your thoughts with me.

In early January, similar questions were asked during an interview on Tapestry, CBC Radio One. I was listening with my fifteen-year-old son. At the end of the interview, he confirmed that it did not negatively affect his faith in God. He believed it was a natural disaster.

This event probably shook your faith as much as it did mine and that of many others. I hope that you too will be able to say that it did not negatively affect your faith in God.

I believe that God was there during the tragedy. I believe that His Sacred Heart ached with every anguished cry for help. I believe that He is still there now; comforting the survivors especially those who lost their loved ones. I believe that he will always be there loving and caring for each and every person.

I thank God for calming the mighty waters and returning it to the depths of the sea. I thank God for being there and join you in fervent pray for better days for all our brothers and sisters who were directly impacted by the Tsunami.

Many of us are still trying to understand the enormity of what happened in Southeast Asia on December 26. Some are still asking, "What is a Tsunami?"

A Tsunami (pronounced ("tsoo-nah-me") is the Japanese word for a large ocean wave caused by some earthquakes. These waves are sometimes incorrectly called Tidal Waves.

About 120 years ago, four smaller Tsunamis swept over the Indonesian islands, on two days, when the Krakatoa volcano erupted. Those Tsunamis claimed at least 30,000 lives and swept away 165 villages.

The climatic eruption, at around 10:00 AM on August 27 1883, is still recorded as the loudest sound ever heard by humans. It was reportedly heard as far away as Vietnam, Thailand and Australia.

Here in North America, an earthquake shook the Grand Banks off Newfoundland in 1929. It raised a 5 metre high wave that swept on land and drowned 27 Newfoundlanders.

The great Alaska earthquake of 1964 raised a 7 metre high Tsunami which crashed into the two communities of Alberni and Port Alberni on the west coast of Vancouver Island causing considerable damage.