Dutch Ark Builder: “When You Open It, There Is a God”

A Green Prophet? This ark now being built to scale might save us from climate change.

Crazy as it sounds, a Dutch man is building an ark, cubit by cubit, exactly as it’s written in the Bible and to scale – like the one Noah built, described in Genesis. He had the idea for some years now, and has financed the major undertaking through revenues earned by a smaller ark he charged admission to as it sailed through Dutch canals.

While only some animals like chickens are living in it for now, the ark is something that the builder Johan Huibers hopes will inspire people to “see God” as he put it, when they enter the ark. However, “unlike Noah, Mr. Huibers had to conform to Dutch fire safety standards,” reports the NY Times.

He also has to deal with neighbors complaining that the new ark in the ‘hood is obstructing the view to the river.

I see this ark more than a sign of faith, the same kind that Noah had thousands of years ago: as a Dutch girl, I was raised with the story of the Little Dutch Boy who averted disaster (and who was late for school!) by putting his finger in the leaking dyke to save his village.

Now with climate change, canal waters are rising, and the new ark could very well save this man Huibers, and his family, from great floods – possibly even of biblical proportion.

::NY Times