Act of god

The dean of Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand, this morning, made an observation which reminds me of the views expressed, from time to time, in Jim Putnam's former TTMF blog.

“The earthquake is not an act of God; it's the planet, doing what the planet does. The act of God is the response of people to the results of the earthquake.”

As a nonbeliever, it's probably arrogant of me to express an opinion about believer's views of the world ... but that is one which I can, even from my very different viewpoint, understand, accept, and admire.

He was commenting in the context of plans for a new cardboard cathedral, designed by Shigeru Ban to replace the one demolished by earthquake in February of this year.

---

• Sunday, BBC Radio 4. Sunday 2nd October 2011.

Shades of Mona

Though I am generally pretty black and white in my attitude to most military conflicts, the aerial interdiction of Libyan government forces attacking secessionist populations is a different case. Here are endless shades of grey.

It was in that frame of mind that I made an unscheduled visit to the Imperial War Museum in Manchester ... a place about which I am also ambivalent.

Leaving behind the displays, I walked up the enclosed concrete stairs of the AirShard and along the bridge for its view out over Salford Quays.

The bridge brought me, vividly but in appropriately monochrome tones, to thoughts of Mona Hatoun's sculptural installation work.