REFLECTIONS ON THE TSUNAMI

2.17.53pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 5th Jan 2005

As I write, we have just observed a three-minute silence in memory of the 150,000 killed by the tsunami.

This was a significant moment of solidarity with the victims and their families - regardless of religion, colour, geography or economic circumstance. Meanwhile, the Government is pledging extra aid in response to the massive outpouring of generosity from ordinary people in the UK.

This was a natural, not a man-made disaster. But there may be a lesson to be learned from the response. People of all faiths and none have responded in terms of our common humanity. Ordinary people have lead the way, and political and religious leaders have followed.

It is traditional, in contemplating the New Year, to talk about hopes for peace, tolerance and understanding between the peoples of the world. In recent years, such calls have often seemed like small cries against the wind. But perhaps amidst the devastation of the last two weeks, we can see that such cries are not in vain.