…and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said.
–Genesis 41:54a
The year is 2311. Three hundred years after the twin towers fell.
A school kid is writing a history report, and says this:
And then, on 9/11, there was an attack on New York City. And that’s how the U.S. came up with the phone number 911 to call for emergencies.
Could you picture that happening? I totally could. It’s a total coincidence that the date of 9/11 resembles our nationwide emergency number, but I think it would be easy to confuse which came first.
Well, my friends, it’s 2026. This week is the 25th anniversary of that terrible day, and I’m guessing there are some school kids out there, today, who think that’s exactly the order in which it happened. To them, it’s all ancient history.
Here’s why that’s a problem for me. It makes it sound as if we were being reactive in creating this important emergency number. But that’s not what happened. In the late 1960’s a commission made this recommendation. They were proactive, thinking ahead to future emergencies.
That’s an important difference. We didn’t wait until September 11th to respond to emergencies. Long beforehand, people had the forethought to put something in place. There were thousands and thousands of 911 calls on that fateful day. I want to celebrate those people who anticipated the need and did something about it.
Think about Joseph. The Egypt one, not the Nazareth one. Joseph read the signs and looked ahead. He saw 7 years of abundance, followed by 7 years of famine. His proactive work saved countless lives, and helped Egypt flourish through a regional emergency.
This devotion is not about 9/11. And it’s not about Joseph, either.
It’s about the environment.
Last week, the U.N. released a report about global warming. For years people have talked about a dangerous threshold — when the earth warms above the 1.5-degree Celsius mark.
The report says it’s unavoidable that we’ll shoot past that marker in just a few years. Every fraction of additional warming makes the consequences worse.
But here’s the good news. The report says that if we act now, we may still be able to change course. We’ll pass that benchmark, yes, but we might be able to dip back below the threshold.
You know what I would love? I would love it if the world decided to work proactively to prevent a global tragedy. Or at least lessen it.
Joseph couldn’t prevent the famine, but he found a way to respond to the emergency before it even happened.
Some countries have already made significant changes to address this unfolding danger, but the U.S. has taken several steps backwards in recent years.
Unlike the 911 phone number committee, or Joseph following God’s prompting, I fear our efforts will be reactive–after the tragedy befalls us.
I’m afraid our descendants are going to despise us because we saw it coming, and refused to act. Refused to be proactive.
The Bible is full of prophets who say much the same thing. Repent now, before it’s too late.
Then Israel falls. Then Judah. Few people listened. Even fewer were moved to action.
There is no nationwide number for reporting a climate emergency.
There are good people, scientists and activists, who are thinking ahead. But until all of us buy in to the reality of an environmental emergency, we will live under a potential reality:
One of these days, it could all come
crashing down.
Have a great week,
Mitch
Leave a Reply