I’m sitting in a beautiful NE Fall day waiting for REV. 23 rehearsals to start. It’s hard to believe—almost surreal—that just south of us, Hurricane Irma has made landfall in Florida. It’s impossible to enjoy the blue sky and sun as I watch live streams of lashing winds and rising floodwaters. I cannot imagine the fear and desperation in the hearts of those in the storm’s eye.
Following Irma are Hurricanes Jose and Katia and before Irma, we had Harvey which devastated Houston. Overshadowed in the news by the American hurricanes, but no less devastating, is the magnitude 8.1 quake, the largest earthquake in a century, to hit Mexico. Also peripheral in the news, are the massive sun spots and solar flares being emitted by our Sun at a time when solar activity should be at a minimum. Immersed in REV. 23, which takes place after the Apocalypse, it’s easy to imagine that the End Times is upon us. Our seas are boiling over, fueling winds which writhe in rage as our earth shakes with anger and our Sun shoots bolts of energy at us.
The jury is out on whether climate change is increasing the frequency of hurricanes. But there is a broadening consensus that global warming may be increasing the severity of storms as higher wind speeds are strongly correlated with rising sea temperatures. It’s our family, friends, neighbors and colleagues that are suffering through this apocalypse. It’s imperative to continue the funding of climate research. If indeed there is a causal relationship between global warming and these near apocalypses, don’t we deserve to know that so we can end the debate once and for all? Only then can we unite to take proactive steps to mitigate climate change, which may be the greatest threat to our continued existence on this earth.
Our hearts, our thoughts are with you, Florida.
For those of us watching and praying from afar, please give generously.