Drought, Crop Failures, Epic Storms, Food Price Spikes, Sea Level Rise…. It Can’t Last Long
The Economist has an excellent article out (paywall) about floods and storms altering the perceptions of Americans toward climate change. The seesaw of flooding and drought that is increasingly more prevalent in the US and in the world is redefining what “normal” is. Certainly anyone who is, say, 40, and can remember when our climate did not behave like this, what we are experiencing is not by any stretch of the imagination “normal” And yet, for someone who is, say, 15 years old, what they are seeing is more or less normal from their experience.
Think about that for a moment. Generations with only 25 years between them have experienced very different climate realities in their lifetimes. Things are changing that fast. And if recent studies and modeling are any indication, the pace of change will dramatically increase over the next 25 years, so that “normal” for someone who is 15 years old today will be defined as steadily accelerating climate decay and constant weather threats. “Normal” will also include increasing disease rates, decreasing food supply, increasing conflict and significantly increasing refugees – pretty much exactly what is predicted in Matthew 24:6-8.
The drumbeat of news has picked up pace throughout 2019. Anticipated sea level rise (and displacement of hundreds of millions of people) continues to accelerate rapidly. The studies are still playing catch-up to reality. In the arctic, permafrost melt is proceeding much faster than anticipated. Crop damage from storms is significant and very expensive. And in India, yet another water crisis has come to a head as the city of Chennai has run almost completely out of water.
We continue to see a planet in active and accelerating decline. We continue to see human society engage in resource competition leading to conflict. We continue to see the poor and powerless suffer incredibly. In sum, we continue to see the logical end-game scenario emerge for a world whose organizing principle is selfishness.
This wasn’t the way God designed the world and His created humans to live. The face of the natural world is not what He ordained or intended. The reorganization of the world from operating on an organizing principle of love to operating on an organizing principle of selfishness is repugnant to Him. And yet, for most of the people teeming on this earth, the current situation is “normal” and therefore accepted.
How long until God brings Satan’s foul work to an end? How long before He re-creates the world and restores His organizing principle of love? How long until we and all creatures can live in the peace, harmony, and delight that God intended? Judging from the pace at which we see prophecy being fulfilled all around us, not long. Not long at all.
Scott Christiansen
Just a few more years at the longest Scott. See Col 373, 374
Thank you for this timely post. Scot.
Yes, “It is the love of self that destroys our peace,” ( E. G. White) How long, indeed, until our Lord intervenes? Until there are no souls still to be saved. Even so, come soon Lord Jesus!
Rus
Thank-you for these reminders of Hope, and yet urgency also- that we share our Blessed Hope with humanity. . . as if there was no tomorrow