Mother Nature

Let me say off the top that there is no such thing as “Mother Nature.” However, since pagans and evolutionists cannot accept that a loving God created the world and continues to care for it, this concept has come to be commonplace in our language and thought.

There are two “extreme nature” style television shows hosted and created by Canadians. One is Survivorman with Les Stroud. I found out about 2 years ago that he also graduated from the Music Industry Arts program from which the hubby and I graduated. Les, apparently, always had the show concept in his mind. He goes into an unknown territory by himself with a camera and some gear, and then “survives” off the local natural resources. I’ve watched a couple of episodes, but really don’t like it. For some reason, that man gives me the creeps, and I just don’t like the concept.

The other show is called “Angry Planet” and is hosted by George Kourounis, an extreme weather chaser and adventurer. He seems to me to be a typical Canadian. I don’t know this with any certainty, but generally, I think many Canadians – especially those about 20 years or more younger than myself – are into extreme sports in greater numbers than other countries, at least that’s my impression. My younger brother was into it since he was a kid. If it looked dangerous, he did it! However, back to George. He has a laid-back style – nothing seems to flap him. He is well-prepared before he goes to the extreme, and he has a genuine excitement and sense of wonder about the stuff he gets to do. I would almost certainly never try anything he has showcased, but I enjoy watching the show because, not only is what he does interesting, he goes to places I would never get to see otherwise. Today, he suspended himself over a “boiling” lake on the island of Dominica in the West Indies.

Several episodes have featured George chasing tornadoes, lightening or hail, or all three. An episode last week had him travelling to Venezuela to experience the “perpetual storm,” which features hours of rain and spectacular lightening. I never knew this place or the boiling lake existed. Once when he was chasing hail in the United States mid-west, he made a comment that caught my attention. He was being pelted with hail in his attempt to find and preserve the largest hailstones he could find. He was standing outside his truck with fist-sized hail raining down on him, and he said, “Mother Nature is trying to kill me with all her force.” There are so many things wrong with that statement.

Let’s look at the typical character of mothers and see if they apply to “Mother Nature.” Mothers are loving and caring, often caring for all others in their families to the detriment of their own health and wellbeing. I’ve heard mothers say they would die for their children. Mothers nurture and teach. They discipline and comfort. When a child hurts, usually they run to their mothers first, knowing they will get sympathy and acknowledgement for their hurts, and often a solution to the pain. I have not had this personal experience from my biological mother, but my second and third moms have both exhibited these characteristics.

The world God created for us was nurturing, providing for all our physical needs. And then sin came along and changed everything. In talking about eternity, Paul writes in Romans 8:19, 22, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. … For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” Even creation feels the burden of sin and waits as we do for release from this twisting of God’s good earth. In that state, I think the title to the TV show is appropriate – “Angry Planet.” In sin, there appears to be an anger in the violent weather experienced instead of the gentle nurturing God originally intended. However, for George to say Mother Nature was trying to kill him doesn’t sound like a very good mother to me. Our loving Father did not intend for “nature” to harm us, and only a mother twisted by sin would ever consider killing her children.

There. I now have that off my chest.

Until next time, give glory and honour to our Father, Creator…