A massive storm system moved through the American Midwest last Friday and into the eastern regions of the nation. Many died and millions are still without electricity. The discomfort caused by this system was sudden and unexpected. As it moved through my neighborhood we were spared the most severe parts of its power.

I read one report that compared the effect created by power outages to be like the aftermath of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack. Made popular in the fictional novel, "One Second After", the effect of a nuclear weapon detonated in the atmosphere high above the country would destroy the electric power grid and knock out every electric circuit in the country. Nothing based on electricity would be operable. All electronic digital circuitry would be fried. Airplanes would fall from the skies. Automobiles would stop in their tracks. Society would instantly be knocked back more than 150 years. Within days the social fabric of the nation would begin to unravel.

Nothing of this scale occurred last week. But the sudden impact of the storm system moving across a wide swath of the nation serves to show how quickly weather, or some other incident, can disrupt life as we know it.

This morning's Financial Times carries a story about the drought-like conditions building across Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Low rain during the past winter lowered moisture content in the soil. Now we are facing a long stretch of extremely hot (high nineties) weather with no rain. The vital corn soy bean and wheat crops of this region is being impacted. Prices have surged and the future price of this year's corn crop has already risen 30 per cent. Other nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay have been hit with drought. All this is creating lower harvest expectations.

The United States supplies almost half of global corn exports and and a third of soy bean expositors. Low winter rain and now low summer rain spells potential disaster. If rain does not come very soon the result will be a very low harvest and higher prices. The ripple effect through an already sluggish economy could result in bigger problems.

These two stories should remind us how suddenly a deceptively prosperous time can be changed by events. Either natural or man-made calamities can turn an orderly world into chaos. The apostle Paul wrote regarding the calamity of the Day of the Lord, "For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape."  He concludes this section by encouraging us  to "watch and be sober." (I Thessalonians 5:3, I Thessalonians 5:6)

I am enjoying this summer period but these recent events reined me how fragile is the balance of life.