Now, on top of it all I know that this world was created by a sovereign God who will not allow one cube of ice to melt aside from His will and His plan of salvation for all people. So when I immediately felt the gravity of what I learned of global warming from Mr. Gore's film, I started to tell myself that it could just be another one of these "Chicken Little" cries that the world would come to an end. But then in my reading, I came across the following passage in Luke:
These are the words of Christ as He tells His disciples to be on guard for His second coming. Someone with a great deal more theological knowledge than I possess will probably come by and tell me I am wrong in my conjecture, but I wonder if what Christ is foretelling is the problem of global warming. See, the whole issue of warming (for those who haven't seen the film or need a refresher) is like this:
"Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising." (from www.climatecrisis.net/thescience)
The result of these rising temperatures is pretty astounding. Scientists project that in 15 years we will no longer have glacial national park. That is a sad thing to me because I have always wanted to see Alaska. Biologists have discovered polar bears drowning because they swim for long distances searching for ice that is no longer thick enough to support their weight. As the ice melts, the sea rises. In the next 50 years if we continue our emissions as they currently stand, the water level will rise 20 feet. We won't have to worry about the destruction of Hurricane Katrina because New Orleans will no longer exist. Heck, I'll have beachfront property in what will no longer be central Alabama!
The first and most natural response to such things is clearly to PANIC! Fifty years is (God willing) in my projected lifetime. What would it be like to feel the impact of temperatures and water rising 20 degrees? (I'm moving to North Dakota if it gets in the 120s here)! However, Christ gives us a different perspective. In Luke 21: 28 he follows with this:
"But when these things begin to take place; straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
That is a beautiful picture to me. What should our response be to signs that the sky is falling? We should Praise God! We find it easy to praise God when we see His goodness, but when things don't seem so great we don't have the feeling of praise in our hearts. But Christ tells us to view the end times in light of what they point to - His second coming - the greatest good of all.
Christ is often reminding us to view the present with the future in mind. Paul gives us an example of considering the present with the future in mind in Romans 5:3-4:
"we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
While the world falls to pieces around me, I want to feel excitement in my heart, to sing "Hallelujah, He is risen! He is coming!"
When I was young I used to say that I had a long list of things that I wanted to go through and experience before the second coming of Christ. I wonder how many people out there are guilty of saying, "Come, Lord Jesus, just please not yet...". I have been guilty of it in the past.
I haven't had a baby yet. I want to watch my child grow up. I want to experience true love. I want to finish my Ph.D. I want to break this world record. I want to fulfill my greatest dream. Have we really begun to consider these insignificant achievements of this life as a real substitution that we even prefer over the establishment of the Kingdom of God? Shame on us. Let's straighten up, and lift up our heads (and hands and hearts and wills). Our redemption is drawing near. Hallelujah!
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