When the Political Climate Is Like Erupting Volcanoes

by J. R. Payne

Nature of the Volcano

When a volcano is about to erupt, one of the tell-tale signs is the smoke or gases coming out of its top. The focus is set on watching what is happening at the top because everyone knows it is only a matter of time before the hot lava spills over and cause havoc on the land below. The real problem though is not what is going on at the top but what is going on at the volcano’s core. At the core are rocks so hot that they cannot long contain their present position or character because of the amount of heat and pressure that has built up.

Symbolic Volcanoes

Likewise many of us are looking at what is going on at the top of our government and watching fearfully the smoke we see coming out of Congress. But the real problem is not what we see at the top. The real danger is at the core. This image of the activity of volcanoes can be a symbolic representation of the U. S. Congress and the meetings held by people who are making decisions formulated at the core and brought to the top where they cause the smoke we see on Capitol Hill. Decisions are being made that affect our finances, health, food, jobs, social standard and religious life. So we fearfully watch this smoke knowing that eventually it will boil over and may cause irreparable harm to our present lives.

The volcano can also be symbolic of our nation where the smoke being expelled at the top represents the turmoil between our legislative and executive branches. But at the core of our government are people that are like the molten rocks heating under extreme pressure that can cause volcanic eruption at the top. There are fiery factions in our population that are clashing over their differences and they do not want to be contained. There is no point in trying to put out the smoke at the top; it is not the real problem. Where we need to focus our attention is with the turmoil going on at the bottom, the core of the problem. How are the people faring? Are we getting along...really? If the problems occurring at the bottom could be contained at the bottom, the volcano would not erupt and peace could be maintained.

Science Behind Volcano Eruptions

Some volcanoes can be active and still not boil over and cause damage. The amount of water present in the volcano determines whether there will be an explosive or non-explosive eruption. The hot rocks can become what are called magma that erupts through the magma chamber and become flowing hot lava. The lava runs down the mountainside onto the land where devastation occurs as it destroys both plant and human life in its path. But if there is a substantial amount of water available in the volcano, the magma heats the water and can produce steam and ash instead of hot lava.

Volcanoes in our Lives

The character of the people in our nation has long been affected by its religious communities through faith and the activities of our churches. There would be a standard of conduct established by the religious community considered acceptable to all. Those people who did not want to conform to the moral values of our community usually left, were jailed, ostracized or recognized as gangsters and misfits. And even they knew and understood that their conduct was not acceptable. Potential volcanoes were dormant among us. But now some of those that were formerly considered as misfits are running our communities and government, causing seismic changes in our society and standards. Guidelines for acceptable morals have been put aside. Why? In many cases, the church in our communities no longer wants to stand up for the guidelines of the bible that formed our moral values. Some churches have compromised the Word of God to assure that they can have a wider appeal to people all types of people and thereby increase the congregation size and finances. Many no longer enforce or emphasize the teaching of morality and the value of God in one's life with the demonstration of His power for a sanctified life. Churches have become silent in the midst of controversy and approving of new standards causing a false calm that soothes seismic turmoil in the land. Our churches today have become more of a social gathering place rather than correcting force that resolves issues of injustice in the land to bring about sanctification and righteousness among the people.

How to Prevent Eruption of Volcanoes

The church was ordained with the charge to cleanse and sanctify the people with the washing of water by the word of God (Eph 5:26). The Holy Ghost is a well of water springing up into everlasting life and the Word of God is water for the erupting volcanoes of our souls. We really can contain the number of volcanoes popping up in our lives that are taking the form of congressional discord, outbreak of crime, economic decline and public acceptance of immoral behavior in society. But to do this we have to make sure there is an abundance of the water (the Word) available quench the volcanoes that threatens us. This water of the word is made to subside the pressure at the core to prevent the overflow of hot lava and its destructive power. The Holy Spirit is that Abiding Resident restraining disrupting power in the earth Who is the Keeper of the souls of the people; but we must engage Him in all our affairs to prevent volcanic eruptions.

So we can watch the smoke that is so visible at the top of our volcanoes and wonder if or when it will boil over and overflow us with it. Or we can engage the Holy Spirit in the problem areas of our lives, adding the Word and the love of Jesus as the water that can calm the molten heat in the rocks which consists of the wickedness and hatred in the hearts of people. Now, this is something that we can all do individually with the help of the Lord Jesus. After all, that is the reason that God sent Jesus and the Holy Spirit into the earth: to bring His peace into the hearts of men to establish and perfect His church, isn’t it? ▉

All rights reserved. Copyright by Joyce Reba Payne