Noah Had an Ark
That was His Bunker
The other day, I saw a picture of trash floating in the sea.
So much, a lot of it plastic, that it boggled my mind. It reminded me of something, but I struggled to remember what.
A few days ago, a dangerous storm hit our region.
Torrential rains and 98-mile winds left a lot of damage behind. It reminded me of something again, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Then, I saw a horrific photo of several thousand dead cows in Kansas.
They died from excessive heat. The photographs were horrific. That’s when I finally figured it out.
These events reminded me of the story about Noah and his ark.
I’m not a Christian, but I can’t pass up a good parable. The story of Noah and his ark is a study in denialism. Apparently, as far back as the good old days, writers recognized that trait in their fellow citizens. If we don’t like the truth, we simply deny the truth.
We’re experts at denying the truth even when it’s right in front of our noses.
We’ll paint another picture altogether. One that allows us to keep doing whatever it is we’re doing. We’ll risk death and destruction rather than change our ways.
Change is resisted no matter the cost.
Old Noah worked on his ark for years. After all, it had to be a pretty big ark if it was to house two of every species on the planet at the time. The whole town watched him and eventually grew bored or irritated with his doomsday predictions.
His message was pretty dang grim, too.
According to Noah, the world was due to be destroyed by a massive flood. Nobody listened. They made fun of him instead. They laughed and accused him of fearmongering. Everyone said he was crazy.
Noah kept working on the ark.
Lo and behold, his predictions came to pass. Most likely, the first drops of rain that fell were ignored by his neighbors, but Noah continued to get the last pairs of animals on board before locking the doors. The storm gathered intensity. People began pounding on the doors of the ark. They wanted Noah to save them, but it was too late.
Everybody died.
(Big sigh) It’s uncanny how dependable human behavior can be. It’s as though our brains are hardwired to go down the same path, over and over again. Truth has little appeal to most humans. They become resistant. We want what we want and will die trying to keep it.
It’s one climate catastrophe after another these days.
Scientists continue to do their work. They issue warnings, but people tend to ignore them. The denial grows as people accuse them of fearmongering. Others listen but aren’t moved to do anything. No one prepares for what’s coming.
The clock keeps ticking.
Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
