International (MNN) — 2023 was full of dramatic weather events, from catastrophic earthquakes and cyclones to wildfires on multiple continents.
Climate activists blame humanity for worsening natural disasters, and they’re kicking off COP-28 today in Dubai to find solutions.
“There’s something in humanity that [makes us] want to blame someone for the natural disasters or things that occur,” International Media Ministries’ Denise Godwin says.
“It reminds me of Tertullian, who lived in North Africa in the second century. He pointed out to the culture, ‘When there’s a famine, you blame the Christians; when there’s a flood, you blame the Christians, and you send them all to the lions. How can you blame one people group for things that are opposites?’”
While no one’s blaming Christians for climate change today, she continues, “Human nature is to pick out a group that somehow must be responsible for it.”
At the same time, “There’s a sense in the modern Western news media that in some way we are (humankind is) responsible for all of the weather phenomenon,” Godwin says.
“While I think the Bible is very clear on calling us to be good stewards and not to abuse what He has given us, there is a certain aspect of making ourselves into little gods when we think we can control everything.”
Ask the Lord how you might turn current events into a Gospel conversation.
“What an amazing opportunity – if we can be creative – to have conversations with people about the power of God,” Godwin says.
For example, you could suggest, “Maybe this is a broken planet, and God is way bigger than what we imagine and think,” she continues.
“Look at the end of Job [where] God says, ‘Do you know where the lightning comes from? Were you there when I made it?’”
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Philippe Donn/Pexels.
