Earth ’ s future and the boiling frog syndrome

We have an uncanny ability to see and not really see something.

It is a human trait and none of us are immune to it.

We have emotional filters and triggers that we use to protect ourselves and help us cope with life but, other times, due to our naiveté, blind spots, selfcenteredness and fear we also choose to not see something, even something that threatens us.

Take, for example, when one first notices a leaking tap in the kitchen.

Some might resolve the problem immediately while others convince themselves that it is not that bad.

After weeks, they finally get tired of wiping away the drops of water around the tap, only to discover that the leak went undetected on the inside and destroyed the entire kitchen sink cupboard by rotting the wood.

We have responded to our planet Earth in the same way and now our very existence is at stake.

From a Biblical perspective, the creation of Earth started with a dark empty space, something unformed and spoken into existence (Genesis 1).

God’s vision and meticulous creation of our natural world was undoubtedly a magnificent achievement.

Our planet is beautiful, intelligently designed, intricate and tranquil.

When the God stepped back after completing Earth in Genesis one, it was declared to be “very good”.

The Hebrew word ‘ tov ’ means to be in harmony with God and suggests that everything was fit for its purpose and use.

A brief glance at global news will however tell us that our planet is no longer in a

‘’ very good’’ state.

We may not all agree on how Earth was first created, but we will all certainly agree that it is currently in trouble.

The threat to our planet, means a threat to our very existence as human beings.

In a news article, ‘’ 20Twenties: Eve of Destruction’’, Anneli Kamfer, aptly described the seemingly futile attempts of the media and activists to communicate just how bad the state of our planet is.

“We can publish thousands of articles, and many other media teams, have done exactly that.

“We can produce documentaries and movies.

“We can televise debates on television.

“We can picket at political summits. We can glue ourselves to walls at business conferences.

“We can chase oil tankers and make human chains around fossil-fuel power stations.

“The truth is none of it has worked so far.’’

She hit the nail on the head of our predicament and the question of why it is not working, is indeed the start to discovering the solution.

The boiling frog metaphor was first presented by Olivier Clark, a writer and philosopher who used the analogy to

‘’ demonstrate that a human being put in certain conditions, even if they are uncomfortable conditions, will slowly get used to them’’ and remain in it without swiftly responding to it and making a positive change.

Olivier Clark chose a frog as a metaphor, a cold-blooded amphibian capable of gradually adjusting its body temperature to the environment.

‘’ If a frog is placed in a pot with boiling water, it would jump out immediately.

“However, if the frog were put in water at ambient temperature and start heating it up gradually, the frog will start adjusting its body temperature to the new environment instead of jumping out.”

The frog will not realise that the water is boiling, and when it does, it will be too late for escape.

The Bible calls the effects of the “boiling frog syndrome” by another name. It is called sin.

Naturally, our human tendency would prefer to label sin as something evil and despicable, indirectly deflecting its characteristics from ourselves and reaffirming ourselves as “good”.

That ’ s not how God sees things (Genesis 3).

The Bible describes sin as “missing the mark” and is any form of disobedience to God.

In Genesis one, every human being was given the mandate or job to actively sustain our planet.

The first step to overcoming sin is to say sorry for disobeying God and the second is similar to the importance of first reading a user manual before using a new appliance in order to avoid damaging it.

We need to first ask God, the creator of Earth, how to manage his creation (1 John 1:9).

In conclusion, Earth’s future rests in our hands.

Our responsibility is simple and practical.

“First thing in the morning you look after yourself, you brush your teeth and wash your face, don’t you?

“Well, the second thing you must do is to look after the planet.” — Antoine De SaintExupery.

In conclusion, Earth’s future rests in our hands. Our responsibility is simple and practical’