April 8, 2013 – Today’s article will not be everybody’s cup
of tea. This particular pot has been
brewing for quite some time, however, and I’m realizing that if I don’t say
anything, I’m not being faithful to the person I am. Comments are always welcome; share your reaction,
if you care to.
Perhaps it’s people’s lack of imagination that perplexes me,
at least in part. But no – that’s
fudging. If I’m going to be honest with
you – and I am – it’s people’s faith in anything but God that has me stymied. Here we are, in the hottest water (hmm, this
tea theme seems to have a life of its own) humanity has ever gotten themselves
into, but we still fail to see how destructive and chaotic climate change will
eventually become. We talk about nature,
as if It were the thing in charge.
Nature does not love us, even when we fail. Nature is not determined that we will learn
our lesson, no matter how many times we fail.
Nature does not wreak havoc-with-a-purpose. Here’s the rub: nature is only a tool. God is the wielder of that tool.
Many humans accept the inevitability of climate change, but
the climate change they fear is really Climate Change Lite. No – that isn’t fair. The 20 million Pakistani’s who were displaced
by flooding almost three years ago know about what’s coming. Australian’s have developed a keen
appreciation for the dire outcomes awaiting a climatically disrupted
world. Fire and flood, flood and
fire. And famine? Ah yes, that would be the millions who rioted
about lack of food, also three years ago.
(Meanwhile, we intend to plant more corn than ever this year so that we
can turn it into ethanol.)
We view it all on TV, pretending the screen creates a
barrier behind which we can hide. We
remind ourselves that Our God is a Heck of a Nice Fellow, who would never be
mean to Western Civilization. We ignore
what we dislike, we spend our money on baubles, we lament the unjailed bankers
and the unpassed climate legislation for which our money-hungry Congress
refuses to accept responsibility. All
the while we grub around for what further lucre can be stripped from our
paradise. You remember – the one God
made for us. Call it the Garden of Eden,
if that’s how you know it. I know it by
looking out the window, by searching for birds with my binoculars, by planting
my flowers and vegetables. I know it,
and I love it, deeply and passionately.
When I remember that God loves us enough to have given us both Paradise and
Free Will, I am struck as if by a bolt of lightning.Our problem arises because we have forgotten who is God, and who is not God. We are not God, though we love to play at being God. Look – a new hair rinse! Look – a faster car! Look – we’re divesting the earth of its treasures a thousand times faster than we ought to! We just get better and better all the time! We have lots of money! We don’t care if we steal from our own children! We don’t care if the atmosphere is unbreathable! We love turning our inheritance into garbage! Oh my – oh dear – oh no …..
We are exactly on track to learn who is God, and who is
not. Try imagining what THAT will be
like.
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