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The reason for all this crazy weather

Picture of Greg Stier
Greg Stier

Droughts in Texas, record breaking heat in the midwest, hurricanes on the east coast and torrential rains on the Gulf Coast all combine to beg the question, “What the heck is going on?” Is it a result of global warming or a sign of the coming apocalypse?

If you’ve not beentuned into The Weather Channel lately 2011 has been a really bad weather year. And people are starting to scratch their windblown heads as to why.

Was Al Gore right after all or has it all been just really bad luck? Perhaps it’s just a random series of climate events that happened to all hit at the same time to produce flooded basements in one part of the country and parched lips in the other. Or maybe those Mayans were right and this is the prequel to the end of the world as we know it coming to a planet near you in December of 2012. Or, worse yet, maybe Harold Camping was right and we have only one month left!

Lions and tigers and, er, I mean, hurricanes, tornadoes and droughts, oh my!

Here’s the answer to the reason for all this crazy weather (drum roll please)…nobody really knows why! Not Al Gore, not Rush Limbaugh, and, no, not even Jim Catore.

Sorry to disappoint but that’s the cold, hard (and, in certain places, blistering hot) truth. Nobody knows why much of Joplin, Missouri was leveled by a EF-5 tornado. Nobody knows why the east coast (and especially Vermont) was punished by Hurricane Irene. Nobody knows why there is a record setting drought in Texas right now. Nobody knows why somebody turned up the thermostat in the midwest most of this summer to unbearable temperatures.

Nobody knows except God.

Although there’s a good chance he won’t clue us in as to why he allowed all of this mayhem to happen, there’s an even better chance we can deduce a few realities out of the rubble:

Deduction #1: God is in control of everything, including the weather.

It has been said that there is not a renegade molecule in the universe. Every breeze, rain drop and ray o’ sunshine is under sovereign command. God is not freaking out watching Jim Cantore’s latest prediction on television. He is the one who creates (allows?) the stories for Cantore to report.

Deduction #2: God uses all things for his maximum glory.

As the old Jesuit saying goes, “Ad majorem dei gloriam” (“For the greater glory of God.”) The King of kings uses everything to bring maximum glory to himself. He uses the good, the bad and the ugly (I have hope!) He is working a plan beyond our comprehension to cause people to look up to him and raise both hands in praise.

Deduction #3: God wants to use this to bring people into his family.

As the second half of the old Jesuit saying goes, “Inque hominem salutem” (“…and salvation of humanity.”) God is working a plan to relentlessly expand his kingdom by adding people to his family. If he wants to shake the snow globe (or heat globe, or hurricane globe) a bit to bring people into his kingdom then that is the prerogative of providence.

So why not use the opportunity of all of this crazy weather as a way to introduce people to Jesus Christ and to bring him maximum glory? If you don’t know how to share your faith you can check these podcasts out that will equip you to do just that.

Ultimately The Weather Channel is just weather chatter. At best, experts can talk about the “what’s” and “what if’s” concerning the weather but only God knows the “why’s” behind the skies. So take advantage of all of the meterological mayhem and use it as an opportunity to introduce others to the One and only who can rescue them from the really bad heat wave that is coming.

Radical Like Jesus

21 Challenges to Live a Revolutionary Life

You are meant for more. God has called you to live a radical life for Him — one that makes a lasting impact on this world. Like Jesus did.

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