“I Look Up To Your Heavens” -featuring Lucy Stimpson- Maynard from the album “Precious” recorded and produced by Ross Gill
This is a reworked version of the original “I Look Up To The Heavens” from the first Mustard Seed Songs album of the same name.

So far we have considered suffering that is caused by our own bad choices or the bad choices of others, but what about suffering that we do not cause like earthquakes and famines, volcanoes and other natural disasters? Who should take responsibility there- surely that has to be God?

Well hold on – Stephen Gaukroger, in this book “It Makes Sense” says even as far back as 1906 much of the San Francisco earthquake damage was caused by corners being cut when reinforcing buildings. Similar accusations were made after the 1935 earthquake in Quetta City, Pakistan and in 1985 in Mexico City – in fact this is still the case today when after earthquakes some buildings continue to stand while others collapse. So it could be argued that if it were not for human greed much of the terrible consequences of natural disasters could be avoided,

So what about famine! Well a recent study by Oxfam states that the wealthiest 1% will soon own more than the rest of the world’s population. If that wealth was more evenly distributed there would not be famines – also corrupt governments of poor countries spend money whilst their people starve.

Gaukroger states that is unreasonable to blame God for our own unwillingness as human beings to act responsibly. Disaster after disaster in our world entails human failure in either causing the catastrophe or making it considerably worst- we need to carry the can for much of this ourselves. Nicky Gumbel, is his book “Searching Issues” carries on this theme saying “Even the Aberfan disaster in Wales was not a natural one. A five month enquiry headed by Lord Justice Edmund Davies ruled that the Coal Board was responsible for the disaster.”

But having said all this there is still suffering which appears to be beyond our control – natural disasters that strike without warning and seemingly without cause. How do we explain these?” Let’s have a look at this next week.