World Made By Hand

The people of Texas have been battered and bruised by Hurricane Ike, this weekend, although fortunately the loss of life has been minimal. Millions have been left without power and some have lost everything. Huge numbers were evacuated from Houston, the fourth largest city in America. This wasn't Katrina but Ike sure packed a wallop.

How would we cope if suddenly the world we know was tossed on its ear? Earlier this year I blogged about the novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I have also mentioned Pest House by Jim Crace. Both are dystopian stories of catastrophic destruction and I found them to be quite grim. I just finished World Made By Hand by James Howard Kunstler. It pictures the U.S. roughly thirty years along, after the supplies of oil have disappeared. Vehicles have been rendered useless, as have electrical devices. Populations have shrunk because of diseases but there is a remnant of those who have learned to cope in what is essentially the world of our great-grandparents . While this novel is not overly pessimistic it does cause the reader to consider whether we could flourish in a world made by hand.

In the novels by Crace and Kunstler religion plays a part in the new world order, but it is an apocalyptic vision with ulterior motives. What if religions, including Christianity, were constructive in this moment, helping people to understand the necessity of living a more sustainable existence? I pray that we wake up while it is still possible to make a difference.