Katrina Kills Philosophy

This really isn't the time to be philosophical. When you see the destruction that Katrina layed on the Gulf Coast, it seems like the only response is silent awe. What can you say when the living are so concerned with staying alive that dealing with the dead is the very last thing on anyone's mind? What good is a carefully constructed philosophical argument at this time?

I watched in rapt horror last weekend and early Monday as Katrina took aim at New Orleans. Even now, I don't think I was doing much deep contemplation of theodicy or the nature of God's love. I am not even thinking about "Why?" this would happen. It's just too overwhelming at the moment. As with the horrors of last year's tsunami, it's easy enough for me to just be content feeling absolutely insignificant in the face of such uncontrollable forces. For me, this is a time to shut up, stop thinking and pray. Of course, there are more practical expressions of my compassion, contributing to the Red Cross and helping a neighbor head down to Texas as part of the relief effort, but words seem absolutely ineffectual.

To answer my second question (what good is a carefully constructed philosophical argument at this time?), I would say this: while talking theodicy at the time of such a disaster seems petty and foolish, having a strong sense of the world that includes unreasoning disasters before they occur is the only way to effectively deal with them. For example, it struck me as odd when people would ask after 9/11: "Where was God?" To me, this only showed that they had not considered the possibility that God could be some place awful . . . at any rate, I grow philosophical here . . .