God, the Bible, and Hurricane Katrina

About the same time the tsunami hit Southeast Asia, I was leading a women's Bible study at my church. One of the women in the group was absolutely certain that God sent that tsunami to punish the Muslims living in that region. Less than a year later, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and Pat Robertson made the following statement: "Hurricane Katrina occurred because New Orleans is the epicenter of sinful jazz music in America" [http://www.datelinehollywood.com/archives/2005/09/18/pat-robertson-corrects-dateline-hollywood-article]. It should come as no surprise that human beings search for answers regarding the causes of natural disasters. Nations all over the world are in the midst of a frenzy about the state of the environment. People from all walks of life are concerned about global warming [though some refute that such a thing exists]; recycling has become second nature to a lot of individuals, and large corporations are beginning to "go green." The industrialized world is slowly becoming aware of the harmful effects of many chemicals used in the production of its goods, as well as the hazardous by-products of industry. Yet, even as awareness of environmental concerns is on the rise, the news is full of stories about the ravages of nature: wildfires out west, hurricanes on the East Coast, tornadoes and floods in the Midwest, drought in the south. Where does God fit into this picture? Genesis 6:12-16 states unequivocally that God sent the flood to destroy an earth and people that had become corrupt and violent. How do we wrestle with the claim that God uses the forces of nature to kill sinful people? Is God punishing a sinful, corrupt people? What, in your opinion, is the relationship between human corruption and natural disasters?