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Richard Littledale

Richard Littledale's
Views on the News: November 2000

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The Under-Rated Ark

So, perhaps the scientists weren't exaggerating after all! The dire predictions of climate change and rising sea levels don't look so much like scare-mongering now - more like fair warning. Their grave words seem more believable when we look at village streets under water and caravans flung around like children's toys. The mundane climate of our "sceptred isle" has shown a wild side.

In the flurry of human interest stories which have filled our newspapers, along with the pithy headlines which accompany them, one historical character has been conspicuous by his absence. One would have expected Noah to be a byword by now! Surely his is a story to inspire a soggy nation. Acting on what he believed to be the voice of God, he embarked on an enormous project despite the puzzlement and opprobrium of his neighbours. One can only imagine the sort of comments which an ungainly boat the size of a football stadium must have attracted in the midst of an arid landscape. From him we have no sound bites about the need to plan ahead or to provide better housing, only the account of his remarkable engineering and faith.

What did he feel as the first few drops of rain began to fall? Was it grim satisfaction that he had been proved right, or profound relief that he was not proved wrong? Was his gratitude for the safety of his family tainted by the all too obvious fate of his neighbours? We shall never know.

The ark has long been a motif for the Christian Church - the vessel of salvation for those who climb aboard. However, perceptions of it vary as much as those of Noah's boat. For some it is an image of reassuring safety whilst for others it is the epitome of infuriating smugness. It all depends, quite literally, on one's point of view!

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