Lava pouring through residential neighborhoods. Buildings swallowed up by flaming rock. Houses on fire. The scene looks apocalyptic, more proof that our world is plagued by pointless evil. While natural disasters like this seem gratuitous, Hawaii’s Mt. Kilauea volcano eruption is actually evidence of divine design.

At last count, more than 2000 people have had to evacuate their homes or businesses and at least 37 structures on The Big Island have been destroyed. Unfortunately, the eruption shows no sign of letting up. In fact, there are indications that things could get worse. New fissures continue to open up around the island and experts at the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) are warning that there could be an explosive eruption of the volcano in the near future. The consequences of that would be devastating. Natural disasters like this repeatedly cause human beings to suffer all over the world. It all seems so pointless. Why would God allow this kind of thing to happen? If you claim to be a defender of the faith, this is the kind of question you have to be ready to answer.

Pointless Evil

The human pain and suffering brought on by events like this are no doubt real and widespread. Christians are, and should be, the first to respond when they occur. At that point, our goal should be to love and comfort those in need. But the “problem of evil” is something we need to consider before the tragedy. When you do, it isn’t hard to see that at least part of that pain is our own fault. Beachfront property is expensive because it is a beautiful and enjoyable place to live. But real estate with an ocean view is also the place where hurricanes and tsunamis come ashore. Living near a river promises boating and recreational activities, but also comes with the threat of floods. In this case, the Hawaiian Islands are a vacationer’s dream, but there would be no Hawaiian Islands — let alone people to live on them — if it weren’t for volcanoes.

Divine Design

The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes, but it goes beyond that. Volcanoes and the tectonic activity (movement and structure of the Earth’s crust) that creates them are actually part of a natural system that is critically important to the existence of life. Carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere into the surface of the Earth through weathering and erosion. This causes the climate to cool. Left alone, it would cause the Earth to cool too much. But that is where volcanoes come in. When they erupt, volcanoes spew massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This makes the climate get warmer. The result is that these two processes are constantly working against each other. Scientists call this phenomena the Carbon-Silicate Cycle. Think of it as a giant global thermostat that keeps the Earth’s temperature exactly in the range that allows for the existence of liquid water, the prime ingredient for life.

The Carbon-Silicate Cycle is just one of hundreds of design features that have to be just the way they are to allow for, and sustain, life on Earth. These are the kinds of things we need to be familiar with … before the volcanoes on our island paradises start erupting.