Are natural disasters
caused, or is their occurrence totally random and uncontrollable? If caused,
are they due to actions/inactions of God or those of Man? These again are the
hotly debated issues this season of unprecedented natural disasters around the
globe. The answers we give will be extremely important as they would inevitably
lead into directions and actions that might be very expensive in socioeconomic
and spiritual terms as we endeavour to either prevent or at least mitigate the
impacts of these natural disasters. An alternative title for this article might
have been Role of Man in “Acts of God,” as natural disasters are often
labelled.
The Scriptures state,
matter-of-factly, that natural disasters would be major features of the end
times. Eg Lk 10:27-30. But this does not
necessarily mean they would be as form of judgement - as some have suggested that Hurricane Harvey in Texas was divine
judgement upon people who voted Donald Trump!
But of course, God
might indeed use natural disasters as judgement – as is evident in the plagues
preceding Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
From the revealed nature of God, natural disasters meant as judgement
could be averted or reversed if people would take the response God is demanding
– as happened in Nineveh. But how would people repent (see Amos 4:9-12 ) if the
Supernatural is a priori ruled out,
and momentous natural upheavals (disasters) are never to be discussed in terms
of anything beyond the natural?
This not only shuts
out explanations in terms of the supernatural, also preclude seeking divine
intervention. All attention is
thereafter diverted to some poorly defined “climate change” as the
culprit. Of course such change is adduced to man’s lifestyle choices. The real problem with this perspective is
when it dogmatically limits the culpability of Man in such disruptions of the
ecosystems only to his physical activities alone.
The Bible is very
clear that God made the planet earth “very good” at inception, and designed
sustainability into it. Man was supposed
to ensure sustainable development of the planet, by wisely exercising his
God-given dominion and generally “tending and keeping the garden” (Gen
2:15). By this fact alone, Man cannot be
absolved from blame (if not due to outright commission, then due to omission)
from the earth going so wildly out of balance.
But it goes much farther than that.
Man’s culpability
would extend to other dimensions including significantly in the issue of
SIN. Ten years ago, we noted how in discussing pollution of ground water in
serious academic fora for instance, the overwhelming contribution of oestrogen
used indiscriminately in contraceptive pills is never to be mentioned because,
as one expert puts it, “"I'm not going there….This involves
people's personal lives, child bearing issues, sex lives and personal choices” In
another article, years ago, we referenced a study that showed the significant
negative contribution of divorce to the energy use on the planet – for instance
two apartments with their utilities are used by separated couples rather than the
single they would use if living together.
All these issues that are being pushed under the carpet are indeed major
determinants in the occurrence of “natural disasters”. And not just that they could on their own
throw the ecosystem out of balance and frustrate the sustainability measures
designed into our world by the Almighty, the sin issue could indeed provoke God
into afflicting the world with such “acts of God” Himself.
Few people would
argue that God cannot control the elements – either to cause disasters or avert
them. In modern times, the parting of the red sea as recorded in Exodus has
been simulated and shown
to be perfectly feasible. The fact
however here is that the 63 mph East wind that blew for 12 hours leading to the
parting of waters at a very strategic geographical location did not happen
randomly. God purposely brought it into action to deliver His people. And as
one awe-striken Israeli commander was to
confess during the 50 day Hamas rocket war of 2014, the winds that suddenly developed
sweeping off Hamas rockets away from populated regions into the sea, making the
Hamas scientists appear as
bungling idiots, certainly had in it the fingers of the God of Israel!
Other people would
insist that even Man now has the capability to deliberately cause massive
upheavals in the environment through some weather engineering technology such
as HAARP (see for instance here, and here). If that is possible, it is still limited to
the realm of secret military applications.
But clearly even if that were possible, severe limitations in prediction
of consequences. Despite all the
impressive progress being made in the development of Chaos theory in
theoretical physics, attempting to predict the path of a hurricane is not in
the same league as the rather elementary task of predicting the path of a solar
eclipse. Many obviously don’t know the difference as shown in this article from the incorrigibly
irreverent Punch correspondent.
By way of
conclusion, we concur that man is centrally culpable in the disruptions in the
balance of ecosystem which is now
manifesting as natural disasters.
However it is simplistic limiting this only to man’s physical lifestyle,
such as extensive use of fossil fuel.
The significant impacts of his other activities, particularly moral and
spiritual issues, must be recognized and factored in.
In sponsoring the LivingScience Foundation, Church
Arise! intends that sustainability issues on earth be seriously discussed in
holistic, comprehensive and realistic rigorous manner - in the best of
scientific tradition.
The bottom-line:
one of the incontrovertible clear facts in all this flurry of unprecedented
natural disasters is that this is exactly what the Bible says would happen in
the end times. They are therefore,
irrespective of the underlying causes, a clear pointer that we are in the end
times. And when the sum total is taken
together, soci-economic, moral, etc. we can literally hear the footsteps of the
Lord at the door. The Lord has asked we continue to occupy and manage the
planet earth till He finally shows up.
The way to do this is to adopt a holistic, comprehensive perspective,
keeping the physical, social, and the spiritual dimensions constantly in view
and in healthy balance.
Ultimately, we look
forward to God’s promise for a brand new planet in the future holy and
righteous kingdom to be unfolded soon at Christ’s coming. Will you be a
partaker?
And, behold, I come quickly; anreward
is with me, to give every man
according as his work shall be. Rev 22:12
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