Weather or not

            If you think this world is not going nuts then I have a bridge to sell you in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Earlier this month, in Western Canada, we had a hot spell of weather. I can’t begin to tell you how many articles began to pop up over global warming and climate change. It gets hot in the summer people, relax. This week it has rained like nuts. I thought as a race we are getting smarter. Then why does it appear were getting dumber.

            I read two articles this past week. One said in 15 years we will be going into a cold cycle. The other report says plus 30 Celsius will be the norm in 40 years. Who is right and who is wrong. I hate it when institutions use false misleading words to get their point across. Nora Weather Center says it’s the hottest in recorded history: yeah, in the history of about 100- 200 years. This is the worst ice levels ever seen: yeah, in our lifetime. I bet the people alive (now dead) in the last ice age might beg to differ.

            As a kid I heard about the dirty thirties. Gee did they think about global warming in that period of time? That era lasted about 10 years. I grew up with dry winters and wet summers. I also had hot summers and friggin cold winters. The eye test works only so far. What we see and experience is local and not global. There is a huge debate over the Biblical flood: was it local or global? Standing in it might look global. Who knows when you’re surrounded by water? An Eskimo might think the whole world is frozen.

            One thing for sure (farmer’s almanac) is that weather changes. I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The weather changes depending on the time of day. I have seen (and felt) plus 20 to minus 20 within hours. Did that mean an ice age was coming? Sure felt like it at the time. I agree we can affect weather by our industrial habits. Smog is not an illusion. Air and water are being tainted by our polluting habits. I do wonder if Mother Nature had enough of us how long would it take her to toast us all.

            What does God have to say about weather? God did control the rain in the beginning. Some people say it never rained until Noah and the ark. God caused some droughts and provided food and water in the desert for his people. Storms happened in Jesus time on earth. He had command of them. We were given laws to rest the land so that it could replenish itself. God is no dummy. He asked us to care for the land because he knew we would need fresh water and air. Is the weather connected to us?

            My mom has pictures of snow up to the top of telephone poles. She knew drought in Saskatchewan. I have seen tons of snow and a drought warning. These days I hear of weather warnings when it’s 30 degrees Celsius. That isn’t hot people. We get frigid warnings at minus 10. That isn’t cold people. We have had two bad floods since I have lived in Calgary within 40 years. Do we have a flood problem? It’s rained a lot lately but we’re in the middle of an extremely, terrible, disastrous, epic, apocalyptic, and devastating global warming trend. The last winter was dry, but the ones before that had tons of snow. What’s going on with the weather? Are we doomed?

            The answer is twofold in my mind. First, is that weather changes. I think there are cycles of about 10-20 years. We get hot and we get cold dumb ass. People who judge our history of weather based on tree rings are idiots. Do solar flares from the sun affect us? Does the amount of volcanoes, forest fires and wind storms affect us? I agree pollution is bad. What controls Mother Nature: God? The experts both say the opposite weather patterns will happen in 15-30 years from now. One way or the other we will get rain, sun, or snow in the forecast.

            So be prepared. Wear sunscreen all the time. Put on sunglasses all the time. Wear a hat even in the shower (you can’t be too careful). At the beach wear a turtleneck (the people of the 70’s were smarter than you think). Stay indoors but exercise to stay fit. Wear lip balm, all the time, to keep those suckers moist (Angelia Jolie). You know the guys with the turbans might have something there. The ladies in Burka’s might be smarter than we think (make sure there black in the sun). whether or not we know the weather remains to be seen.

Faith comes alive