Faithwalker: America in Crisis

Since there have been attempted burglaries in my Rome aparment building lately, I left a few lights on and the TV turned on to MSNBC Italian news Sunday morning. When I got back late that night, I walked in and was surprised to hear live broadcasters on the scene covering Hurricane Irene from the States, in English!

Three times in three weeks I've seen news about America in crisis. Yet, watching the maps and hearing these headlines in my mother tongue so far from home, I was also strangely removed, as though watching a movie about end times. I stood stunned watching the footage and hearing such terrible headlines as these:

Irene threatens 65 million people along the US east coast - THE LARGEST NUMBER OF AMERICANS EVER AFFECTED BY A SINGLE STORM.
22 states affected by Hurricane Irene, more than any other single storm EVER
President Obama declared a state of emergency for 11 states and Puerto Rico
12” of rain dumped in New Jersey, serious flooding in many areas
Vermont sees worst flooding in 100 years
40 lives lost as stories of rescue and clean up crews continue, half from electrocution
4 million without power, many downed trees, power lines and $40 billion destruction to property

Wow, all this on the heels of the first earthquake that rocked the whole East Coast just days ago, and the economic crisis before that. At first, it seemed many international headlines focused on Obama's golf game on Martha's Vineyard, but I'm sure for many of us, this was the first time we realized that a 'little' 5.8 on the rector scale can shake half the nation because it sits on one geological plate.

When the earthquake hit near DC, my friend Walter was teaching a Bible study up in MCI Concord prison in Massachusetts. He wrote:

"So there I was preaching down underground in the Prison Chapel today. There were probably 60 inmates listening to my every word... teaching on the coming of Christ. If you remember... at the exact time Jesus gave up His life an earthquake shook Jerusalem and God tore the temple curtain in two from top to bottom...

All of a sudden the prison walls and floor started shaking and all the inmates started clapping. It was awesome!"

Having lived in the Ring of Fire in New Guinea for 16 years, we were accustomed to regular shakes and quakes--more than a dozen per year from 6.0 to the 8's on the rektor scale! Water would slosh out of our water tank, tins would rattle off the shelves in our pantry, and trees would fall into the river and float away. Tribal people would wonder if the gods were angry.

We were so far interior there were no streets or big buildings to crumble. Difficult to judge intensity from our vantage point, though I once watched the ground at the airstrip rolling toward me like a big sheet.

On the East Coast USA, people aren't familiar with the sound that resembles a crew of Thunderbirds rushing overhead at sonic speeds, and that's a much riskier place to be. Whole cities of concrete and bridges and overpasses and even tunnels could quickly crumble and bury people alive. I read about people flashing back to 9-11 last week and wondering if terrorists were involved as they rushed out of tall buildings.

Listen, earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis and hurricanes are more frequent, more powerful, and hitting more places around the globe than ever before. 100-year records are being broken in many categories according to the data. This isn't made up hype by any stretch.

Scientists on global watch and response teams have been studying these things for decades already. They've been meeting since at least the 90's when they called the 80's a decade of alarming natural disasters.

The majority don't make the headlines, but every single day there are recorded natural disasters of one kind of another. Cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, flooding, freak waves, hurricanes, landslides, meteor strikes, mystery booms/skyquakes, pandemics, record-breaking disasters, solar flares, space weather, tropical storms, tsunamis, volcanoes, unusual animal behavior, weather extremes and wildfires are observed... You can read the observations of world class scientists (their speeches at summits are on public record) or read daily records such as http://globaldisasterwatch.blogspot.com/

It's increasing on a global scale. Now scientists are expecting a massive solar flare that could knock out our cellphones and technology. There's nothing we can do to prevent these global or universal eruptions. When it happens (and scientists are saying it's not a matterof 'if' but 'when' in their writtn report), we need to be prepared.

How, you ask?

Please think about this if you've never thoughtfully done it before. How could someone predict all this with such accuracy 2000 years ago?

"'Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. ... There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man, coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ..'

'Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you the truth... Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.'

'Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with disspation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.' Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple ... and all the people came... to hear him..."
Luke 21:10-38 New International Version of the Bible

All these things come as warnings from a gracious God who wants us to receive forgiveness. Jesus said plainly it all points to his coming and soon we will see Him restore all things and recreate the heavens and the earth. This is what I pray for. We need help!

Perhaps this is hard to think about if you are wealthy and content with life, but imagine the prayers of the millions of victims of human trafficking, 27 million slaves, 10 million children, 40 million displaced worldwide, countless abused, oppressed, hungry and imprisoned...

Like the men in Walter's Bible study, they will stand up and clap for joy at the expectation of being freed.