Signs Of The Time

Just very lately, birds falling from the skies in Beebe, Arkansas just about after new year's day was first reported. Then similar cases of astonishing birds dying and falling were reported in Louisiana, spreading to Kentucy, Texas and even about halfway across the globe, in Sweden  and Italy, and reportedly  somewhere over in Australia. This mysterious incidence of birds kill, dubbed as 'aflockalypse', puzzled biologists and ornithologists. At about the same time, massive tilapia fish kill  (about 150 tons) was reported in Vietnam and about 40,000 crabs were washed up in the shorelines of England!

Incidents of massive death (i.e fish kills, bird falling) did occur in the past. Scientists thought that 'trauma caused by fireworks' during the new years eve revelry or damage due to 'high-altitude hail', among others, may be the culprit. The search for the explanation for these incidence, however, is far from over. However, some people out there, among them the 'self-proclaimed prophets' are quick to say that these mysterious events are few indicators of the second coming of the Lord. One 'prophet' boldly said that the death of the birds is caused by the current repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) policy in the military which displeased the Lord.

In Australia, a massive flooding in areas as big as the state of Texas, has caused deaths and extensive damage to the area. Power supplies were out and communication system knocked out in some areas. Strong water currents brought down bridges, washing away sidewalks and kept people isolated. Severe flooding was also reported in  Bangladesh. Here at home, monstrous snowstorms came one after the other, causing power outages in area where snow accumulated to massive amounts that knocked down power lines and caused loss of some lives.

It would be a small wonder that these events could be attributed as one of the signs of the time.

Several reasons could be cited to possibly cause deaths of birds - bad weather, high tension line collisions, electrocutions, diseases caused by parasite infestation or bacterial infection to name a few. Indeed, this could be a sign of the time. That natural selection is going on, as it has been since life begun.

Cataclysmic events are part of the daily affairs of the earth. Vocanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes and, yes, floodings. The increasing global climate is thought to be the major trigger of the flooding And scientists warn that this could just be a prelude to the future. Natural calamities are one  set of agents that can, likewise, lead to natural selection.

Viewed from either the mystical or the natural vantage points, these events can be considerably argued as signs of the times. To me, they represent part of the continuing process of natural selection, which is the major driving force of evolution!