WIND

It is “windy” out. Dictionaries define wind as “the movement of air. This movement is caused by pressure differences, which in turn were caused by temperature differences. In other words, it all starts with the sun.”

That sounds simple enough, but can you see air, its temperature, or its pressure? We can feel the wind, and we can see leaves and other objects move because the wind is blowing on them. But we cannot see the wind.

The force of the wind can be fierce, or the wind may be calm. “One of the first scales to estimate wind speeds and the effects was created by Britain's Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857) [….] The scale starts with 0 and goes to a force of 12.” The Beaufort scale is used to estimate wind strengths. (Wikipedia source).

At 0 scale, the air is not moving, and smoke rises vertically; at 6 there are strong breezes; at 10, there is a storm, and the waves will be high; at 11, the storm will be violent and at 12, there will be a hurricane.

The strength of tornados can be measured by the Fujita (EF) scale. Measuring 0, a 3 second gust will be 65-85 mph; at 2, 111-135 mph; and at 5 it is over 200 mph.

Hurricanes are measured by the damage they cause and those reaching stage 3 cause loss of life and significant loss of property. Hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans in 2005 was a category 5 and caused 1,382 fatalities. The National Hurricane Center assigns names and maintains a historical record of them with the World Meteorological Organization.

The Kewa in Papua New Guinea called wind “po-ripu” which consists of the words air-grass. One knows there is wind blowing by looking at the grass (or leaves, water, etc.), and when the wind “comes” in the Kewa language, it is blowing. The really strong winds arise in the mountain forest area and make a distinct sound.

When a Jewish leader named Nicodemus went to see Jesus, he did it at night, and he asked questions about the kingdom of God. Jesus told him he had to be born again, and Nick took it literally, which was preposterous. So, Jesus used a metaphorical explanation: “The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3.8).

The coming of the Holy Spirit was also described metaphorically with the wind figure: “Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting [….] They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak” (Acts 2.2, 4).

At the end of the flood, with Noah and the ark, God “caused a wind to blow, and the water started going down” (Genesis 8.1).

Joseph interpreted a dream and told how, with the desert wind, there would be seven years of famine (Genesis 41.6, 23).

Moses caused a wind to bring locusts (Exodus 10.13), and the Lord brought quails to the Israelites by means of the wind, but in a famine scorching winds will destroy the crops.

A person who speaks, but with empty words, may be called a windbag, and Job thought his “friends” were accusing him of speaking “nothing but wind” (Job 6.26a) and they “let the wind blow me away; you toss me about in a raging storm” (Job 30.22).

David also wanted his enemies to be blown away by the wind (Psalm 35.5; 83.15) but realized that he could also be compared to a “puff of wind,” a passing shadow (144.4).

We have giant turbines in Texas to harness the wind, but Proverbs 27.16 reminds us that it is difficult to stop the wind—it is like holding a handful of oil. And it is the writer of Ecclesiastes who, in his dejected frame of mind, claims that life can be useless, “like chasing the wind” (1.14; 2.11; 2.17; 2.26; 4.6, etc.).

God’s anger can be compared to a furious wind (Jeremiah 30.23-24) with destructive power: “Tell the prophets that their wall is going to fall down. I will send a pouring rain. Hailstones will fall on it, and a strong wind will blow against it” (Ezekiel 13.11). They will be like chaff that the wind blows away (Hosea 13.3). Jonah found out about God’s wrath when he contended with the hot east wind (Jonah 1.4). 

Jesus could command the winds to be still (Matthew 8.26; Mark 4.39; Luke 8.24), which amazed everyone. “What kind of man is this?” they said. “Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (8.27).

The way we pray can even be compared to the wind: “But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind” (James 1.5).

I’ll close, because if I talk too much, I might also be a windbag and accused of fanning the breeze. 

Karl Franklin