From: Dawsonzhu@aol.com
Date: Fri Nov 07 2003 - 10:46:54 EST
Gordon Brown wrote:
> This is interesting, important, and informative, and I think it is good
> for me to know about it, but I don't see any mention of Christian faith,
> which is supposed to be a criterion for posts to this forum. Ken Touryan,
> in his talk at this year's annual meeting, indicated that the energy issue
> should be a focus of the ASA in the upcoming years. Perhaps someone could
> show us how to make the connection.
>
Good point.
A Japanese historian I met here some time ago made the
perhaps speculative observation that the fall of Rome
may not have been so much the polarization of poor and rich
with no middle class to buffer it, but the lack of energy --- in
short wood.
At that time, wood was a major resources for ships and fires
to forge weapons and products of industry. Stopping the
wood would be akin to stopping the oil today.
I still think strong polarization of classes certainly did not help
matters much, and even sin (Augustine's hypothesis) may have
been a contributing factor in Rome's eventual demise.
There are some cedar trees today in Lebanon as I understand,
but surely not as many or even like the ones that Sennacherib
boasted about cutting down. I wonder if Rome could have exploited
more of the northern areas since they also built bridges there. And the
area running through Lyon had a large settlement for transporting
goods down the river from the North to Rome. Moreover, there was
England which could have been a source of wood. Anyway, the
transportation was gradually becoming more difficult, and the logistics
and control more costly to Rome. That seems reasonable to say.
He also observed that along with the depletion of that
resource, people began to turn a little more back to
religion. Christianity, so he said, could accommodate
a more ascetic life.
I don't claim it is all that simple myself, but maybe
when we have finally come to nothing, that is when God
can make something of us.
As Christians, here again is an opportunity to hear God's
calling and pursue a path to contribute to the future, indeed
our future. If God is really there, I think he will grant those
he has called the place, the opportunities, and the fortitude
to push on through this hard struggle toward the answers that
help in this crisis. In short, I think we have to have faith that God
loves us enough that he will help us, in that mysterious way, to
find what needs to be found. Part of our trouble is really a reflection
of our arrogance and pride that we don't ask God to help us. In the
final analysis, only God can save us. (IMHO)
by Grace alone we proceed,
Wayne
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