TURMOIL CONTINUES

For some time now I have been impressed by the double nature of the judgements which are threatening the world. On the one hand is humanity’s destructive behaviour towards itself and on the other hand there is the hugely destructive potential of natural forces. Both of these, I believe, will show a frightening increase as this century proceeds. And my horizon can no longer remain the shores of our own nation; judgement is a world issue.

This last week has seen marked examples of these two forces; massive revolutionary demonstrations in Egypt (reflected in other parts of the Middle East), along with unprecedented natural catastrophes, especially in Australia and the Amazon. This week I’ll comment on the natural phenomena, next week the Middle East.

Only three weeks ago I wrote a column called “World in Turmoil” featuring the great Australian floods. Now we have seen in the same country the worst hurricane in living memory. Its eye was 20 miles across, its impact from was 400 miles across and it reach was some 600 miles inland. Winds reached 180 m.p.h. Mercifully it did less damage than anticipated in the larger towns in its path, but its devastation was huge. Australian courage and resolve have faced it but, of course, cannot lessen it. And this was a hurricane following rapidly after unprecedented floods.

Less known, but perhaps more frightening is the news from the Amazon forest area, the “lungs of the planet”, where in 2010 there has been catastrophic drought. This follows, and is worse than, a previous “one-in-a-hundred-year” drought in 2005. The Rio Negro, which is the biggest tributary to the Amazon, was at its lowest levels since records began at the start of the 20th century. In addition the dryness of the forests has made them susceptible to vast forest fires. All this means that a huge area of the world which has been absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere has begun to release CO2 into the atmosphere. Whereas the Amazon will normally soak up some 2 billion tones of CO2 annually, the 2005 drought released some 5 ½ billion tonnes into the atmosphere, which is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions from the U.S.A. This is due to the vast numbers of dying and decaying tress and foliage. A Brazilian professor of Tropical Ecology commented; “The predicament of the Amazon and other major tropical forest regions has never been so uncertain”. The increasing climate instability is a factor that will not go away. We know enough science now to know the appalling consequences of such instability; global convulsions affecting world geography, populations, food and water.

A newspaper editorial said, “The world needs massive action, beginning immediately to reverse the existing trends on emissions and deforestation”. Correct! But it is simply most unlikely to happen; the prevailing selfishness and inadequacy of humanity being all too evident.

Three weeks ago I related these kinds of happenings to Jesus’ prophetic words about end-time catastrophes in the heavenly and natural spheres, reminding us they are not simply indicators of judgement but indicators of cosmic rebirth at his coming. One further thought arises in my mind; are the devastating catastrophes he spoke of likely to come “overnight” or will they build up in intensity over time? The sensible answer to that question would seem to be that the odds are even. Personally I would think a gradual build up more likely, but at a pace that was clearly discernable to anyone who had eyes to see and was watching, and a pace that increased with time. Beware! The pace is quickening.


Bob


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