I have lived in the Valley of the Sun most of my life and am no stranger to monsoon storms. Sometimes they are mostly noise- lots of wind blowing patio furniture around, booming thunder and streaks of lightning. Other times they consist of bright heat lightning followed by a gentle rain storm. There are "dust devils"-swirling funnels of dust and debris that arise suddenly and disappear just as quickly- that roam across the road leaving a layer of dust on your car but not the car in front of or behind you. And occasionally we get the storm you can see, hear, feel, taste and smell... a haboob.
The term "haboob" is derived from the Arabic word "habb" meaning wind. It is basically a wall of dust created by the downdrafts during a thunderstorm in a very dry desert. They occur in three regions of the world- the Sahara desert (particularly Sudan), the Arabian Peninsula (Kuwait, Iraq) and the southwest United States (Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas).
The week before last we watched a haboob roll in as we were driving home, hoping we would get home before it overtook us. We later learned it was the largest haboob to hit the Valley measuring about a mile high and more than 50 miles wide as it rolled through the Phoenix area. As I watched this storm and the effects afterwards, I was reminded of some similarities between the storm and sin.
At first, it looked like a cloud... soft and billowy... beautiful even. It's often the same with sin... it seems benign when we're first seduced. We see what we want to see and rationalize its effects.
We were still several miles from home when we realized it was not a pretty cloud but a wall of dust rolling our way. The air was still and quiet. You knew the wall was there but could look the other way and ignore it... just like sin.
We made it home before the haboob hit and stood outside quietly watching it roll in. A musty, dusty smell filled our nostrils as our eyes were drawn to the powerful wall of dirt plowing through our neighborhood. And the closer it got, the dirtier and uglier it looked!
Soon the haboob was right behind the houses across the street and we had a choice to make. We could either stay outside in the dust storm or we could turn around and go inside. We have that same choice when it comes to sin- stay, indulging our selfish desires, or turn away from it.
Leaves on the trees began quaking as the wind started to kick up and the air was thick with dust. We were inside but people who were caught outside during the storm said it was hard to breathe, almost suffocating, and their teeth were gritty with dirt. Sometimes the Holy Spirit gives us a nudge about a sin- that uneasy feeling that we've done something "wrong" (guilt) that makes us feel like we just... can't... catch... our breath.
Several minutes later the storm intensified. We could hear the howling gusts as our wind-whipped tree hung on for dear life. Darkness descended like a shroud as the storm seemed to dig in, not wanting to let go. Finally, about ten minutes later, the wind lessened and then was gone. It was once again still but with the smell and taste of dust hanging in the air. My eyes felt gritty with sand after being outside for just a few minutes. Sometimes sin also likes to dig in, taking root in our hearts. And it takes the power of God to shake it loose just as the power of God moved the storm along.
The next morning, in the light of day, we could see the aftermath of the haboob. Everything- and I mean everything!- was covered with a layer of silt about a sixteenth of an inch thick making sidewalks slick and pools filthy. The air was still thick with dust. Thousands of homes were without power- thankfully not ours! Health experts predict there will be THREE times as many Valley Fever infections over the next two to three months as is normal for this time of year as a result of the haboob. The consequences of this storm will touch many people, some living in places where the storm did not hit. Sin is like that, too, with far-reaching effects and consequences.
Much time, money and effort was spent on clean-up across the Valley of the Sun- road crews cleared debris, power companies restored power, pool cleaning companies were working overtime. We hosed down our house, washed furniture, scrubbed windows, cleaned out the pool pump and filters several times, and dusted and vacuumed INSIDE our house (houses are not air-tight!). After four or five days the air began to clear. What had been dirty was now clean. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He cleansed us of our sins and clothed us with His righteousness. But unlike hosing off the patio- which had no choice but to be cleaned- each person must choose to accept the gift of salvation and eternal life that is offered.
"Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood."
Romans 3:24-25
