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Natural Disasters
The first eight months of 2011 have brought some astonishing events. Early in the year the Groundhog Day Blizzard hit large areas of the USA, bringing the city of Chicago to a virtual standstill [1]; then an earthquake struck Christchurch in New Zealand, killing 65 people [2]; another earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, killing thousands and causing a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant [3]; the deadliest single tornado in the USA since records began caused at least 141 deaths as it swept through Joplin, Missouri [4]; and the approach of enormous hurricane Irene caused seven east coast states to declare an emergency [5].
Disasters in the USA during these eight months included ten that each caused more than a billion dollars of damage [6]. This prompted a new initiative to make America safer in the face of extreme weather events [7]. But it is not just brief events that have had a significant impact, the on-going issue of drought in Africa has hit the east of the continent hard this year. Thousands have already died and millions are affected, so that aid agencies are quite clearly overwhelmed by the scale of the problem [8].
Human Violence
Alongside these ‘natural’ events there have also been extreme human events. The uprisings of the ‘Arab Spring’ have produced some awful images and reports of atrocities in various countries - especially Libya [9] and Syria [10]; with questions now being asked about Western governments’ involvement with brutal regimes [11]. Then in August, the UK itself saw large-scale rioting break out in its cities [12].
Financial Turmoil
Nor have world financial markets been free from major events. They have experienced a sequence of dramatic falls due to concerns about European economies [13] and the astonishing brinkmanship over the escalating budget deficit in the USA [14]. These issues are so significant that they have led some experts to talk about the world facing some fundamental changes [15].
Various Excesses
Yet despite all these very significant events, some people appear to have paid little attention and have continued with previous excesses. English Premier League clubs spent £485 million just on summer transfer fees - up 33% on the previous year [16]. Company directors continued the pursuit of personal gain, with recent research suggesting that average bonuses for directors of FTSE 350 companies have risen by as much as 187% since 2002, without a corresponding rise in share prices [17].
There are also many indicators of other forms of excessive behaviour. In some parts of the UK, people who simply wish to join a library are starting to be quizzed on whether they have had a sex change [18]. Religious leaders in the USA are being excluded from 10th Anniversary commemorations of the 9/11 terrorist attack, despite the significant influence of religious communities in New York after the event [19]. And there is the growing phenomenon of self-storage in the UK, leading one psychologist to comment: "We've confused who we are with what we have." [20]
Harsh Reality
So, in the midst of all this, it is only sensible to ask, ‘What is really going on?’ Some years ago Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached a series of sermons from the book of Jeremiah that dealt with fundamental issues in life. Last year four of them were gathered into an album titled: What’s Wrong With Humanity? Based on the inspired Word of God, these sermons hold key answers as to what is going on in the world today. They first cover the condition of fallen man, then explain that men and women are actually slaves to sin (despite the appearance of freedom for many), then they go on to explore the true wisdom, before finally examining the Christian life.
Anyone who is concerned about the dramatic events taking place in our days would do well to listen to these sermons.
This article was published on 8th September 2011.
References
[1] Groundhog Day Blizzard & LRC
Weather Watch 12, 3rd February 2011
[2] New Zealand earthquake: 65 dead in Christchurch
BBC News Online, 22nd February 2011
[3] Powerful Quake and Tsunami Devastate Northern Japan
By Martin Fackler, New York Times, March 11, 2011
[4] How to help Joplin, tornado victims
By Christopher Dawson, CNN, 27 May 2011
[5] Hurricane Irene: Emergency declared in seven US states
BBC News Online, 26 August 2011
[6] Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters
[7] NOAA's National Weather Service taking action to build a 'Weather-ready' nation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 17 Aug 2011
[8] In Mogadishu, UN refugee chief urges scale-up of aid for displaced Somalis
UN News Centre, 1st Sept 2011
[9] Libya: Chronology of conflict (Slideshow)
Reuters UK Edition, 22nd August 2011
[10] Syrian Troops Launch New Raids Against Protesters
By Nada Bakri, New York Times, 5th September 2011
[11] Libya rendition claims: David Cameron calls for inquiry
BBC News Online, 5th September 2011
[12] Further riots in London as violence spreads across England
BBC News Online, 9th August 2011
[13] IMF's Christine Lagarde warns Europe and US over debt crises
By Larry Elliott, guardian.co.uk, 26th July 2011
[14] United States debt-ceiling crisis
Wikipedia, page accessed 6th September 2011
[15] Is the world facing fundamental changes?
Viewpoint by Chris Williamson, BBC News Online, 19 August 2011
[16] English Premier League summer spending hits £485m
BBC News Online, 1 September 2011
[17] Bosses' bonuses up by 187% since 2002, report suggests
BBC News Online, 5th September 2011
[18] Want to join a library? Have you had a sex change?
By Tim Ross, and Matthew Holehouse, 27 Aug 2011
[19] Religious Leaders Excluded From NYC 9/11 Commemoration
By Napp Nazworth, The Christian Post, 25th August 2011
[20] The self-storage craze
By Tom de Castella & Kate Dailey, BBC News Magazine, 1st Sep 2011
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