Category: Nature

The Mistaken Belief About God’s Actions in the World

On By dotluvs2writeIn humanity, Life, Musings, Nature, News Events, Religious, TravelLeave a comment

Last night, I happened to watch a few minutes of the horrific 2004 tsunami. I do remember how horrible that was, but I didn’t realize how many souls perished in that monstrous event until many years later. Under the documentary video, it said 250,000 (in the NOAA article, it says around 227,899) people died in that catastrophic event. Heartbreaking and tragic!

A few minutes ago, I watched a short documentary on TWA Flight 800’s devastating crash. Horrific and terrifying.

I happened to read several comments under both of the videos, mostly under the plane crash one. In any case, two particular responses showed up in them that, in my opinion, are related.

Under the 2004 tsunami documentary video, someone asked how God could do this to all those people who died in that horrible event.

Similarly, a comment under the TWA Flight 800 plane crash was how could God do this, which basically means she thinks He caused that plane to crash.

Both have a misunderstanding of God, Who He is, understanding of humanity, and human will.

So, both are incorrect assumptions that these events were caused by God.

They weren’t.

God had nothing to do with the tsunami or the plane crash.

The tsunami was caused by a very strong earthquake with a 9.1 magnitude on the Richter scale, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. They also said, “The magnitude 9.1 earthquake was one for the record books and stands today as the third largest in the world since 1900.” (NOAA, 2023)

Mechanical issues seemed to have been the issue with TWA Flight 800.

Therefore, the tsunami was triggered by a powerful earthquake = natural disaster. And the plane crash was due to technical/mechanical issues = technician/mechanic errors.

There are three ways to look at the cause of natural disasters:

  1. Earth does these things at times.
  2. God is punishing people
  3. Humanity’s collective sins causes these events

Technically, there is a 4th choice for the plane crash = human error, which is reasonable to agree with.

But for both events, I am of the belief that it’s number 3. Humanity’s actions in the world are like the butterfly effect. When we do evil or sinful things, they reverberate throughout the cosmos. Likewise, if we do good and holy things, these, too, reverberate throughout the cosmos.

This is because God gave us the gift of free will. We make choices every day, often many times a day that can affect others and all of God’s creation.

Since we live in a fallen world, these things happen–joyful things and tragic things. Life is a kaleidoscope of joy and sorrow. And how we experience and deal with them is up to us and our free will.

Some of what I’ve said here echoes a blog post I wrote a few years ago called Humanity’s Power. If you’re interested, you can read it here.

God be with all the souls lost and their families. He is a loving, merciful, and Good God.

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Works cited:

NOAA, 2023. “Jetstream Max: 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.” https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/2004tsu_max#:~:text=On%20December%2026%2C%202004%2C%20an,Ocean%20generated%20a%20devastating%20tsunami.

A Special and Earth-Shattering Event

On By dotluvs2writeIn art, Beauty, blogging, Christmas and other Holidays, humanity, Inspirational, Life, Musings, Nature, ReligiousLeave a comment

In two days, my family and I will be celebrating the birth of Christ, Who took on flesh from his Holy Mother, the Theotokos (or Virgin Mary).

I remember my family visiting the Natural History Museum up in Denver many years ago, and the timeline of human history displayed on the wall.

In the middle of that timeline was the birth of Christ.

In the past few weeks, I’ve been rather bothered by the lack of mention of Christ’s coming birth and rarely anything in stores carrying Christmas decorations and cards even mentioning the Christ Child.

I think in the past couple of decades, the meaning of Christ’s birth and how it impacted the world has been minimized.

Yes, we recognized the commercialism aspect that really took off many decades ago. However, it seems on steroids today!

The colossal event of Christ’s birth and coming in the flesh and walking among us humans is nothing short of miraculous and amazing! It is why the Natural History Museum couldn’t leave out that event in human history.

No matter the change of Before Christ to Before the Common Era, I asked myself, what does that actually mean? What was the “Before the Common Era”, and what does “Common Era” actually mean?

Looking up info on it, the term is also called “Before the Current Era,” which also means “Before the Christian Era”.

Obviously, we know this was done for religious neutrality. Although, I find that ridiculous. Because Christmas is all about Christ’s birth.

Other holidays that fall around this time and wishing those celebrating them a blessed one, I’ve no problem with.

However, I do think that although “Merry Christmas” seemed to have been somewhat muted in the past 10-15 years, it’s actually back to being said for those who wish to say it, which usually are us Christians, but sometimes others say this as well.

Unfortunately, I came down with an illness yesterday afternoon and have been in bed since then, I’m hoping I’ll be on the tale end of this bug when Christmas Day is here in two days!

I’m planning a roast beef dinner, and my oldest son, Nicholas, will be cooking duck for the first time!

As I’ve been reading the Gospel of Luke, I’ll leave these beautiful verses that Linus echoed in the Peanuts’ Christmas:

8″Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9″And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

10″Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

11″For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12″And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13″And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

A very Merry Christmas, everyone! Christ is born! Glorify Him!

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Peace on Earth. Is This Really Ever Attainable?

On By dotluvs2writeIn Beauty, Christmas and other Holidays, Cultural and Political, humanity, Inspirational, Life, Musings, Nature, Religious, warLeave a comment

In the last month, I’ve been listening, once again, to podcasts by a dear archpriest who reposed a few years ago. He had several years of podcasts before his repose, and I listened to every one of them and am going through many of them again. His name was/is Fr. Tom Hopko.

I found epiphanies, discoveries, spiritual nourishment, and comfort in his talks.

Last week, I caught one of his talks he had done near Christmastime. He brought up the well-known saying I’ve heard all my life: Peace on Earth and good will toward men.

The first time I listened to his unpacking of that meaning was probably about 10 years ago. And anytime I read anything spiritually-centered, whether through the Scriptures or through books on the Saints, I will pick up different aspects of the verses or things said than I did in the past.

This was so for the meaning of peace on Earth and good will toward men.

This “Peace” is Christ, not the actual meaning of peace all over the Earth.

Fr. Tom explained that peace and good will is supposed to take place in the hearts of every person. They find peace through Peace = Christ. And Him only.

Because I’m one that is against wars and imperialism and the pursuing of power and money, I had been perceiving peace as an outward ability to tangibly have peace in the world through ending wars and people working through their problems diplomatically globally and through discourse within our communities.

So when I listened to what Father was saying, things clicked inside of me. Ah, I got what he meant.

Of course, I know and have known since being a practicing Orthodox Christian, that this world is broken and fallen, and there never can be real peace in this world. There cannot be any type of utopian place on Earth.

What I’ve noticed is when people are striving for that here on Earth, we may forget that the total harmony of humanity, the peace between all life, etc. is only in His Kingdom, and in that life afterward if we are blessed and through God’s mercy, we someday go there.

Pondering all that was said in that podcast, there was the thought that, well, peace within a person or many persons can bring about some peace because when one is in Christ and finds peace in Him, they emit peace toward others.

So, I have seen this in the Saints.

However, I don’t think it’s wide spread, especially in today’s spiritually dark climate.

But we can still work toward finding peace through Christ and trying to acquire it. The Holy Spirit within us helps us toward these spiritual pursuits.

Knowing this different perspective on peace, I see it as just a shifted view of what peace means. In a way, it’s a relief to me because, oddly enough, I think one striving to find this peace in and through Christ within our relationship with Him may be a much more attainable goal than “world peace”.

I say this may be “easier”, but it still feels like quite a mountain to climb. But it’s a good thing to pursue, and so I will continue to do so, no matter how many times I fail.

After all, life is about falling down and getting back up. He who endures to the end is saved, as Christ Himself says in Matthew’s Gospel.

And as Mother Gavrilia said, it’s the effort that counts.

I wish there was a way to permanently stamp those words into my brain. To remember it and have it before me always.

Everyone wants to live in peace, and knowing what that means and Who it is, I believe, helps guide us on the right path toward it.

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