Acts of God

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Sunny South News

Loraine Debnam
Community Comment

As I’ve been watching the incredible devastation from the volcanoes in Guatemala and Hawaii, it has occurred to me that there will be blame laid but no recompense given.

If you read the small print in contracts and insurance policies, no one is liable for “Acts of God”.

For centuries, disasters like floods, tornadoes, storms, lightning strikes, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis and other tragedies have been listed as the fault of God. I think we notice them more because we are able to connect electronically with areas all over the globe.

Our world seems to have become much smaller. We see weather events daily from all over our earth whereas centuries ago news of these would never have reached us.

In the name of political correctness, we have been brainwashed to associate God as the source of our troubles (Funny how we never blame the weather forecasters or the scientists studying these things).

On the upside, we also see how hearts are opened and volunteers rush to be of any help they can. Clothing, food, water, medicines, shelter, money and other aid is given to those who have been directly affected.

Which brings me to the other end of the continuum – miracles.

Although many religions have recorded these throughout time, in today’s cynical society, rarely is credit (or credibility) given for any of them. These wonders may have different forms or play different roles in each faith but Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity have all chronicled these magnificent occurrences for believers. The dictionary defines a miracle as an event which cannot be explained by natural, scientific or statistical laws. A first class miracle is one where there are many witnesses who report their participation or observation of an event which fits the definition. Since it goes against our regular experience of how the universe works, we credit it to divine intervention – the work of some invisible agent who wants to bring joy, fulfillment or great happiness to our lives. Personal miracles are just that – personal. They are pretty much everywhere, and daily, if we are open to the receiving them.

Skeptics, of course, put them down to coincidences, good luck or pleasant but unlikely happenstance.

For its progress, science depends on our ability to understand natural laws and expected natural phenomenon. But, good science also requires the ability to revise as new data becomes available.

Just because we have never known it to happen before does not mean it cannot ever occur in the future.

With the development of more sophisticated equipment and greater scientific knowledge, perhaps there will be more predictable events which we now deem as physically impossible.

For me, I cherish the wonderful positive acts of God which bring joyfulness, happiness and delight to my daily life. I don’t have any trouble giving Him credit for any of them.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.” Albert Einstein