Recent news about bushfires and the destruction it has caused to the place and people reminds me about the divine and the demoniac characteristics of nature. Even though bushfires ravage the cities of Queensland and New South Wales annually, there has been an increase in the extensive areas devoured by the red flower – a term used by animals in ‘The Jungle book’ to describe fire. Sydney has been affected to a great extent with embers falling on Opera House and sixty people hospitalised due to thick blanket of smoke that enveloped the city for a few days.
On these fateful days, while returning from work, I mistook the orange and red sun to be the moon in the sky. I even read about eclipse and the red moon to reassure myself that nothing strange was happening. I was surprised to learn that the orangish reddish ball in the sky was the sun, which appeared orange or red because of the thick volume of rising smoke and high temperatures.
Prophets or historians or scripture writers have prophesied the tsunami disasters and the bushfires as warnings of the approaching ending of the world in the holy books belonging to the Hindus, Christians and Muslims. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament in the Bible, references to the ending of the world has been emphasised. Both Luke Chapter 21 v 25-26, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars and on the earth dismay among the nations bewildered by the roaring sea and the surging of the waves” and Psalm 11: 5-6, “The lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot” resonates theories about the destruction of the world.
Bhagavad Gita, the holy book of Hindus, explains in Chapter 16 titled ‘The Divine and Demoniac Natures’ Text 9 – “etam drstim avastabhya/nastatmano ‘lpa-buddhayah/prabhavanty ugra-karmanah/ksayaya jagato ‘hitah” that godless people who are engaged in activities such as inventing or creating something such as the nuclear weapons etc., are engaged in activities that would bring about destruction to all. The demoniac materialists enjoying the world to the hilt think that they are advancing while creating or inventing weapons not meant for the peace and prosperity of the world when in reality, they are only making it possible for war to take place at any moment.
In Qoran, 47:18 the ending of the world is referred to as ‘the Last Hour’ and it would come without any warning. There is no salvation for people who recall their past sins once the process of destruction is initiated.
فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا السَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُم بَغْتَةً فَقَدْ جَاءَ أَشْرَاطُهَا فَأَنَّىٰ لَهُمْ إِذَا
جَاءَتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ
Are, then, they [whose hearts are sealed] waiting for the Last Hour – [waiting] that it come upon them of a sudden? But it has already been foretold! And what will their remembrance [of their past sins] avail them, once it has come upon them?
Is it time for us to think of constructing Noah’s arc or should I say reconstructing? If this were to happen, then should we choose to save the richest human pairs or the intelligent or highly skilled pairs besides the flora and fauna that could survive against all odds?
A Writer's Exposé 