I admit that explaining the existence of evil from a Christian perspective isn’t that easy. But, although even the best attempts tend to leave some loose ends and intellectual explanations are not necessarily emotionally consoling, Michael Ingham has not brought the Christian understanding of evil to new heights in his musings on the Japanese tragedies.

According to Ingham: “Natural evil is the result of things over which we have no control” and “We call them evil because they are evil” and “Natural evil is random. It is not planned”.  Eat your heart out, Thomas Aquinas.

From here:

Bishop Michael Ingham told the audience that disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan are examples of “natural evil,” which happen randomly and can’t be explained by any divine plan.

“Natural evil is the result of things over which we have no control — earthquakes, tsunamis,” Ingham said during the 90-minute service.

“We call them evil because they are evil. They wreak havoc upon the innocent and the defenceless. … Natural evil is random. It is not planned. It afflicts us without reason and without human deserving.”

In the face of such unspeakable horror, Ingham said, the world must come together as a community of neighbours.

“We must cultivate the virtue of compassion,” said Ingham. “We cannot survive as isolated individuals or isolated societies. The pain of our neighbours is our pain. When neighbours suffer, neighbours respond.”

Has Ingham said anything the Humanist Canada society might not have said? No.