Finding God In Mystery

Every time a natural disaster happens I'm always horrified at how quickly certain people (you know who) are to explain God's purpose or to rationalize what happened, even claiming God was behind the disaster.  I have no idea what the personal motivations might be for this (they probably vary depending on who it is), but it probably has to do with trying to contrive some sort of comfort from being in control.  This is kind of a paradox to me, since things like tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes prove that human beings are far from in control, and yet it seems like a prevalent coping mechanism is to explain what happened, why it happened and even what can be done to prevent it.
Of course, these "explanations" differ depending on who the person is.  Did God cause the disaster because the people affected weren't faithful enough?  Is there no God and is this all scientifically explained?  Does an explanation really help anyone, let alone the victims?
I personally cannot fathom a just God who would cause something to happen in so destructive away, and giving witness to this kind of God helps no one accept those who feel that they have God's favor over other people.  Likewise, while the scientific explanation for natural occurrences may be accurate, it can't predict when a disaster will happen and is also of no use to the victims.  In both "explanations" each response has the appearance of having "all the answers" and yet having this knowledge does nothing to bring justice or healing to those in need.
I once watched a show on TV where in the plot, police officers were looking for a person who had been responsible for molesting another person many years earlier.  In the closing scene one of the main police officers encounters the "criminal" and points his gun at the other person's head.  The "criminal" implores the officer to "do what he has to do" and explains that he has lived with the crime for years, that he has made peace with God and has reformed himself over the years, but that he still lives with the guilt of what happened.  He also implies that he has been going to church.  The officer doesn't shoot him, but places him under arrest as the narrator concludes the show.  I can only paraphrase, but I believe the narrator asked:  "Why does God allow these things to happen?  Where is he when people feel this kind of pain?  I used to be angry with God for allowing these things to happen, but now I have an idea of where God is.  He is in the hands of those who heal and of those who try to make things right."
While I probably butchered the plot or what was precisely said, it has always been the final point that stuck with me.  It is quite obvious that we don't know why things happen.  Anything we try to say to those in pain usually doesn't get through.  Sometimes what we do falls short.  But where is God when disasters happen?  He is with the clean-op crews, the doctors, and those who help rebuild.  Even though the world is problematic, I'd rather think of God being in the solution, not the problem.

Please take time out of your week to pray for the marginalized,


Jason