A Volcano in Your Backyard

Mount Adams as seen from Goldendale, WA

The Mountain —
      I recently saw an image similar to the above picture of Mount Adams and it got me to thinking.  Beyond just being breath-takingly lovely, there is something awesome and frightful about this.  That is because this is an actual volcano.  True, it has not erupted in more than a thousand years, but it is not extinct.  And just about 34 miles to its west, Mount St. Helens erupted violently in 1980.


The Danger —

Mount Pinatubo erupting, 1991

        Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted in June of 1991.  Even though there were growing signs of unrest along with more minor eruptions, the timing of the eruption as well as the magnitude of how it blew were completely unknowable.  In May of 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted after growing signs of unrest and ground shaking.  The government had set up exclusion zones to keep people away from the mountain and the "best-guess" prediction of the blast area.  An old-timer named Harry Truman who lived near Spirit Lake to the north of the mountain refused to leave saying that he and the mountain got along just fine.  The blast that came on Sunday morning, May 18, 1980 left everybody surprised by the size and devastation of the eruption.  More than a cubic kilometer of rock turned to fine volcanic ash, burying much nearby and traveling far across the state even to other states.  Several died—some even though they were theoretically not in the dangerous zones.

Mount Pinatubo

The Watchfulness —
      Thus anyone who lives near an active or even a dormant volcano should be aware and live with an eye toward the mountain.  And there would be an increased watchfulness if the mountain (and surrounding land) exhibited signs of activity.  Not to be watchful is to invite disaster and death.  Likewise, to underestimate the severity of the threat could lead to fatal results.  Harry Truman trusted his connection with the mountain and nature.  It was a trust built on a feeble and hollow self-deception built up over many years.  Many considered Harry Truman as a fiery folk hero—a determined resister to the evacuation efforts.

      Fathom that: People admired a man who did everything possible to avoid being helped, who did everything possible to discredit the work of scientists and emergency workers.

      Yet those that headed the warnings fared far better.


The Connection —
      Consider the Children of Israel as they moved about in the desert after leaving Egypt.  In their midst was a box.  Not just any old box, but the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant, representing God in their midst!  Consider that God is far, far more powerful than a volcano.  Consider also that God is a Person and is capable of Knowing—unlike any volcano.  The smart thing to do would be to live carefully with an eye toward the Tabernacle and the Ark.  This Ark already killed two of Aaron's sons.  Later this Ark would kill Uzzah!  This was not a tame box!

Consider how, during King David's time, the Ark spent time in the house of Obed-Edom.  Think how carefully they must have been to live correctly, each day waking up and seeing the Ark there in front of them, knowing that to do things incorrectly could invite death.  Oh, but also consider how this family was blessed—because they were watchful and feared the Lord properly.


The Warning —
      However, there is the danger of growing familiar.  Those who grow up near a volcano could easily become jaded and loose the sense of watchfulness.  "Oh, the mountain hasn't erupted in a long time," they might think.  "I don't think it'll blow."

      The same thing happened over time with the Children of Israel.  They lost sight of God as represented by the Pillar of Fire and the Ark of the Covenant.  They complained, murmured, sinned—yet all the while God was there in their midst.  And He would break out against them, reminding them of His presence and His holiness.

      The lesson for us is to live not as though there is a volcano in the backyard, but as though God is there with us.  Coram Deo!  Before God's Face.  And all that we do really is before His face whether we believe it or not.  Whether we underestimate the sternness and severity of His wrath or whether we make Him out to be just a "nice God of Love" who would never really punish you.

Harry Truman underestimated the dangers of the Mountain and ignored the warnings of those who understood far more than he did.  History is littered with the carnage of those who underestimate God's Threats and with those who ignore the warning in the Bible—warnings which God Himself has sent.

Our God is a consuming fire!  But there is great joy that He is also a Refuge to all who trust in Him.  Never lose sight of Him