THREATS EVEN BIGGER THAN TERRORISM

Tom Robinson Less than two weeks before the third anniversary of the horrific Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, the US Republican Convention convened in New York City just four miles from the site of Ground Zero. From it came stirring reminders that the fight against terrorism remains a vital election year issue as it well should be. But how many people are aware that greater disasters than even nuclear or biological terrorism are real possibilities from the realm of nature? Though nearly 3 000 people were murdered in the Sept. 11 attacks, approximately 20 000 people died last August from a heat wave in Europe. And more than 40 000 people died in the Bam earthquake in Iran during Dec. 2003. Even these numbers could be eclipsed by even more devastating natural disasters. BBC News recently reported: "Giant tsunamis [tidal waves], super volcanoes and earth-quakes could pose a greater threat than terrorism, scientists claim. Global Geophysical Events, or 'Gee Gees,' as they are nicknamed, are not being taken seriously enough, they say. The global community needs to monitor these risks, and develop strategies to cope in the face of a catastrophe" ( Aug. 9, 2004 ). A follow-up story the next day elaborated on the first of these threats: "A scientist has attacked the inaction over a threat from a dangerous volcano in the Canary Islands which could send a tidal wave crashing against the US... If Cumbre Vieja volcano erupts, it may send a rock slab the size of a small island crashing into the sea, creating a huge tidal wave, or tsunami. Walls of water 300 feet high would travel to the US at the speed of a jet. Within three hours, the wave would swamp the west coast of Africa, within five hours it would reach southern England and within 12 hours it could hit America's east coast... New York, Washington DC, Boston and Miami would be almost wiped out by the tsunami generated by the insecure rock falling into the Atlantic" (Aug. 10, 2004). "Eventually," the scientist said, "the whole rock will collapse into the water, and the collapse will devastate the Atlantic margin." Another possibility was reported on the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2003. "Lurking beneath Yellowstone National Park is one of the most destructive natural phenomena in the world: a massive super volcano. Only a handful exist in the world but when one erupts the explosion will be heard around the globe. The sky will darken, black acid rain will fall, and the earth will be plunged into the equivalent of a nuclear winter. It could push humanity to the brink of extinction... The rumblings currently going on underneath Yellowstone should be a warning not just to those who plan to visit the National Park, but to the whole world. If the [recent] increased thermal activity is the precursor to an eruption event, we may well be on the brink of the biggest catastrophe the modern world has ever witnessed" (Online Journal). These are earth-shattering possibilities, unimaginable catas-trophes of, as the saying goes, Biblical proportions. And the Bible does indeed warn of such calamities as the end of this present era of civilization approaches, climaxing in global catastrophes comparable to those described above. "And there will be... on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth..." (Luke 21:25-26). The encouraging news is that, Jesus Christ will return to rescue us from all the calamities humanity is subject to because of its sins. He will return with power to rule over all the earth! God wants us to have our focus in the right place, to put our trust in Him as the ultimate source of protection and, more importantly, eternal salvation! www.ucg.org