Alberta Flood: Act of God?

That’s what the insurance companies will call it. Not sure they actually mean to libel God, when they simply mean “act of nature.” Yet many well meaning Christians will suggest just that: It is an act of vengeance of a just God on a sinful culture.

In their case, they do actually malign God. Although He causes his rain to fall and sun to shine of the just and the unjust, He does not deliver His judgment on both the good and evil. And acts of nature, like the Calgary flooding, are too random to be just.

Then who, if anyone, is to blame for this calamity and others like it? Perhaps in a roundabout way, we are. For instance, our sin is often dangerous to others. If I drive drunk, my sin may wound or kill others at random. They may suffer for our sin, but are not being judged for it.

Thus sin at large may target others not responsible for the sinful actions. In fact, God told Adam that as a result of his sin, the earth would act contrary to it’s original specifications. Thorns and thistles were a symbol of sin causing a destabilised planet. Sin is the greatest pollutant.

Contrary to common belief, God didn’t curse the ground; it was cursed because of Adam’s sin. Sin is the curse. Leviticus warns Israel that sin defiles the land which will “vomit you out,” 18:28. Wider reading of Scripture warns us that sin disrupts the land’s ability to support humankind.

Thus, it should be of no surprise that the retreat of the west from Christianity, rejection of the life giving laws God has provided, together with the rise of militant Islam, have coincided with extreme weather and increasing cataclysmic disasters.

The increased penetration of sin into the fabric of our planet may yet bring greater catastrophe to earth’s peoples, and the images of Revelation may not seem so far fetched. May God have mercy on us, revive His people, and bring conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come.