The Acts of Men Vs. The Acts of God

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The Acts of Men Vs. The Acts of God 

(Part I of II)

Middle of the autumn season, the leaves had entirely changed colors. Fall leaves on the trees displayed not only on our but also on neighbors’ property with speckles of orange, red, and yellow colors, a splendid scenic view from a distance to make County’s favorite place of residence.

Whenever the wind blew, leaves came down dancing according to speed, breaking delicately off tree branches and fluttering down to the ground like a colorful rain, it was a seasonal transitioning time from summer to winter, and our lawn was a blaze of color with leaves. I felt like our family was waiting for another cold breath of winter.

On Monday, October 29, 2012, the evening I was exhausted after the long labor of raking leaves on our lawn, and I needed a good night’s sleep to be at my best in the morning.  In the middle of a cold night, while my wife Nalini and I, and our son Jesse were sound asleep in our respective bi-level house bedrooms in Mount Olive Township, New Jersey.  Quickly, I woke up as windows rattled by the wind. Thunder rumbling in the distance, I could hear the rain pattering on the roof and against the windows pane.  As gusty winds over 80 miles per hour (mph) speed rushed across our quiet neighborhood, we lost our electric power within a few minutes.

Suddenly, I stretched out my arms to grab a flashlight from an adjacent bed lampstand but couldn’t find it immediately.  Without electricity, in the middle of a cold night, our life came to a stop, and everything became a questionable decision.  As a result, our immediate basic needs, such as using an eclectic cooking stove, refrigerator, heat and hot water, and other necessary electronic devices, which required electric power, were at stake.

In the darkness, I could not see outside as raindrops covered the windows.  The unleashed wind shook our house and tore trees apart.  As my heart was pounding against my chest, I heard a loud thud, and suddenly, a few large trees fell on our property.  A storm brewed in night time promising nothing but wind to level even the mightiest trees to the ground.

An unexpected storm caused us all kinds of anxieties and restlessness in the night time; however, we waited for the day to dawn!  I knew there would be sunshine and warmth by morning, time to rebuild and repair with unknown risks and costs.

As sunlight began to appear, I noticed our neighbors’ large fallen trees on top of the vehicles parked in our driveway, in front of the main door, knocking electric power, telephone, and cable lines, including property fences.  We’re shocked! A question crossed my mind immediately as to who would pay for the cost of repairs and clean-ups?

It was a challenging and very difficult life experience for us, and due to damages, we faced all kinds of legal, physical, emotional, and financial hardships.  In short, we’re shocked and annoyed as our insurance company denied the damaged vehicles’ claim under an “Act of God” clause.  The first time I questioned myself about the difference between the “Acts of Men” and “the Acts of God?

Yes, Hurricane Sandy (a.k.a. Superstorm Sandy) was different; we never experienced such wrath of destruction in our lives.   To this day, most of the victims have not fully recovered from the October 2012 Superstorm Sandy’s impacts and damages.

What is an “Act of God?” Over two (2) decades, it has become one of the brain teaser questions for me.  I know, as per Webster’s dictionary definition, it is “an unforeseeable or inevitable event as an earthquake or a flood caused by nature.”  Nevertheless, we take an insurance policy to protect against losses, damage, injuries, and costs associated with unforeseen events.  However, in real life, when unexpected events occur, in my opinion, an “Act of God” clause and minor issues become unreasonable excuses for most insurance companies to deny the damage claims.

For instance, in the first week of January 2018, our house heating system suddenly shut down due to an unexpected freezing temperature in the middle of a frigid winter night.  The “Blizzard of 2018” not only caused our indoor plumbing system to freeze but later also ended with pipes burst, and water damages on both floors, including our personal and business items, respectively.

Moreover, in the first week of March 2018, Nor’easter blizzard with Hurricane-force winds and snow caused heavy physical damages to both our inside and outside the property and emotionally and financially in our family’s life.  Finally, after a year and half of legal battles and frustration with our home insurance and mortgage companies for unsettled property damages and lack of repairs, we ended up moving to a warmer region in the United States of America (USA).  In this context, I deemed it was the “Acts of Men” rather than the “Acts of God.”

Painfully, life transitions are challenging because they force us to let go of the familiar and face the future with a feeling of vulnerability. Yes, inevitably, the change will yield some sticky moments in our lives!  Our passage from one state to another could not have more badly timed, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Furthermore, transitioning that too during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis presented us with physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual challenges.

When the decision movement came for our transition from one state to another during the National pandemic emergency crises, my wife and I had to cross one-way a total of 7 States border on the road, namely Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia, respectively.  We drove over 5000 miles (i.e., 8047 kilometers) in a few trips to move our personal belongings to the final destination, Montgomery, Alabama State.

As one can imagine during this pandemic crisis, driving and crossing each State border made us uneasy as roadside billboards read 14-day Quarantine for out-of-state residents.  However, each time we drove through the Blue Ridge Mountains of the larger Appalachian Mountain range, immediately uneasiness turned into a relaxing moment.

A spectacular natural scene for us to look over the dark, jagged mountains, we could see the sun rising in brilliant colors through the trees and thin clouds pillowed through the sky without obstructing the sunlight for their usual extent.  We watched as the birds flew through the sky, passing through the rays of light with their flapping wings were quick to catch the yearning viewers’ attention like me.

A special moment as I drove in the Blue Ridge Mountain region of West Virginia and the Virginia States. Instantly reminded me of John Denver’s song “Take Me Home, Country Road,” a piece I used to sing and play on guitar in my College days in India.  Fond memories of my youth once again brought me back and made me reflect on my life’s actual and imagined conditions! Yes, “Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River, Life is old there, older than the trees, Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze, Country roads, take me home, To the place I belong, West Virginia, mountain mama, Take me home, country roads.”

Our final road journey from New Jersey to Alabama was an emotional roller coaster. For more than 30-year, we lived in the Northeastern United States. Our two children, son Jesse and daughter Rebekah grew up and studied in the region, and made me think of our lives joy and challenges in 33 years of married life.

While we’re driving through the Great Smoky Mountains of the Blue Ridge Province, we spotted a skyline ahead with thick storm clouds laying over the area and began to wonder if driving that day would likely be far from a pleasurable experience.  Suddenly, large raindrops started to splash against our vehicle’s windscreen, while the late-afternoon sun still shone gloriously behind us, and I set wipers in motion. Immediately, I noticed the most magnificent rainbow ahead and pointed my finger to show my wife Nalini so that she could witness this memorable scene.  Unlike any rainbow either of us had ever seen before, this beautiful spectacle came down from the sky with its abundance of color, landed, and touched the ground straight ahead of us.

The rainbow beauty stunned us both as we kept driving forward; we looked at each other momentarily in disbelief as we saw the rainbow didn’t move.  Are you seeing what I’m seeing? I asked in astonishment; she nodded, with nothing more than the word.  I kept my foot on the accelerator, and in what seemed like slow-motion, we drove ever closer to the end of the rainbow, as it still refused to comply with the theory of refraction.

At that moment, I reflected on a well-known verse from the Bible “I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth (Gen. 9:13 NKJV).  As we drove through the Appalachian Mountains and crossed Georgia State, and finally reached Alabama State, once again, COVID-19 pandemic warning road signs reminded us not only of our National but also the World health crisis.  At the same time, reminiscing of the day driving through a rainbow reminded God’s sign of the covenant, which in my opinion, is an “Act of Grace.”

Due to COVID-19 mandatory conditions, I quarantined for a week as an out-of-state resident before the start of work.  During my quarantine time, the pandemic crises made me ponder whether it is the “Acts of Men or the Acts of God?” After going through the frustration due to misleading information by social and television (TV) news media, I considered prayerfully writing on this topic. Moreover, our own family life experiences taught us useful lessons that compelled me to write on this subject.  Therefore, the “Acts of Men and the Acts of God” is my proverbial understanding of scientific and religious belief or faith contexts, if you will.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the scientific context is a virus and disease, which was unknown before the outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and now affecting many countries globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Likewise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that “on February 11, 2020, the WHO announced an official name for the disease-causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, first identified in Wuhan, China.  The new name of this disease was Coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated to COVID. Formerly, this disease referred is to as 2019 novel coronavirus or 2WHO019 nCoV.”

Furthermore, WebMD reported that GAO Fu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told the state-controlled Global Times that “the novel coronavirus had existed long before it was found at the market.”  Meaning, the virus existed in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province of China.

Since January 2020, whenever I hear COVID-19 news, a few deep, thought-provoking questions cross my mind. Such as follows:

  1. What are the reasons for not controlling or mitigating this virus immediately at its initial stage in Wuhan, China, which was in late 2019?
  2. Why was this virus initially not considered a serious one at its origin? and
  3. If this virus was uncontrollable at its origin, why didn’t Chinese scientists and medical professionals get expert services or help from the rest of the world’s specialists?

As a scientist by profession, providing groundwater expertise services in the environmental consulting industry for over 25 years in the United States of America (USA), I answered these questions based on scientific explanation and my rational thinking and professional experiences.

In short, I try to simplify complex groundwater contamination and regulatory compliance issues to my clients by using medical analogies so that any ordinary person can understand easily.

The complex nature of hazardous substances impacting our environmental media (i.e., air, water, sediment, soil, etc.) is one of the world’s major issues, but at present, remedies for the COVID-19 pandemic took precedence over any other environmental problems.

To illustrate my point, I have done a comparative evaluation and analysis for COVID-19 using medical analogies that I apply in my profession to simplify the complex groundwater contamination, remediation, and regulatory compliance issues so that anyone can easily understand.

Imagine a client wants to buy and develop a piece of property.  Due to regulatory compliance and financial liability purposes, person contacts professionals like us. Based on the client’s requirements, I would educate with simple illustrations to avoid any business conflicts after executing the final Scope of Work (SOW).

For instance, contamination with all kinds of hazardous substances seemed to exist at a property or Site. Businessperson (i.e., client) will make the final decision of property purchase based on our professional suggestions and recommendations.

Following is my comparative scientific evaluation and analysis illustration for COVID-19 with simple medical analogies for our understanding:

Contaminated Site

  • Client’s proposed Site
  • Assess and evaluate for potential or confirmed release of hazardous substances, based on professional judgment;
  • Determine whether an environmental media (i.e., soil and groundwater, etc.); contaminated with hazardous substances utilizing screening tools and chemical analyses;
  • Based on the initial evaluated and analyzed results, conduct a full-scale investigation in all environmental media using sophisticated testing methods and determine the “source area” or “hot spot”;
  • Design and execute mitigation (i.e., temporary treatment) plan to avoid further impact to adjacent sensitive resources and population;
  • Delineate and determine the extent of contamination plume in groundwater using thorough chemical analyses and modeling methods, and notify the owner and authorities;
  • Design the remediation and restoration plans for “source area” for the client’s approval;
  • Execute both plans and monitor media monthly, quarterly, and annually till no further action (NFA) letter obtained; and
  • Close the case after receiving an NFA letter from the authorities.

Medical Analogies

  • Sick patient or person;
  • Diagnose for patient’s symptoms utilizing testing ( i.e., blood, urine, and x-ray, etc.), and determine the disease;
  • Conduct patient’s thorough diagnostic tests (i.e., biopsy, CT and MRI scans, etc.) to determine for cancer and its tumor;
  • Initiate temporary medical treatment (e.g., chemo) for cancer to avoid cells further spreading to other parts of a patient’s body;
  • Analyze, evaluate and determine the stages of cancer (e.g., leukemia) and notify patient and loved ones;
  • Plan for surgery and obtain patient’s consent;
  • Conduct surgery (e.g., tumor);
  • Monitor the recovery by following physicians’ approved schedule/visits/tests; and
  • The doctor will close or sign-off the case after the patient’s full recovery.

My professional comparative evaluation and analyses result in a scientific context based on assumptions for COVID-19 pandemic are as follows:

  1. In 2019 the “source” area or “hot spot” (i.e., Wuhan, China) was identified and determined to be the cause for this virus;
  2. The “source” area mitigation plan appears to be an ineffective one; otherwise, the virus wouldn’t be impacting or spreading to other areas;
  3. The extent of the “source” and impacted area appears to be not fully delineated and determined immediately;
  4. Execution on an ineffective remedial or medical treatment plan at an initial stage in Wuhan, China appears to be impacted people locally, state, and nationwide; and
  5. Delayed notification to the world communities about this virus spread like wildfire worldwide created health and economic and financial crises.

Therefore, in my opinion, the COVID-19 pandemic seemed the “Acts of Men” rather than the “Acts of God.”

Part II focuses on the “Acts of God” and will be published soon; therefore, please make sure to read both (Part I and II) to fully comprehend the topic on the “Acts of Men, and the Acts of God.”  However, your comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Shalom!

Disclaimer: This Website (www.johnwesleyadmirer.com) on which I write and publish about personal opinions, activities, and experiences belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent others unless explicitly stated.  Any views or opinions intended not to be spiteful of any religion, individual, ethnic group, or organization.