That’s how it started: with loud noises like thunder. Soon spilling ash blocked the sunlight. Mount Ontake had erupted. The people were trapped.

A photographer named Yuji Tsuno was near the top of the mountain. He had just enough time to take a few pictures before he hid in a hut. He knew that if he was going to survive, he had to take a risk and run down the mountain.

The volcano erupted on a normal fall day. The sky was clear. Then suddenly, white plumes of ash flew high into the sky. At least 250 people were on the mountain at the time. Unlike Mr. Tsuno, many did not make it down the mountain alive.

Why didn’t scientists warn the climbers? Simple: They didn’t know the volcano would erupt, either. Usually volcanos give warnings before they blow. They spit and sputter. But Ontake blew without telling anyone beforehand. Nothing rattled. The plates beneath the earth didn’t noticeably move.

Our hearts are sad for the Japanese climbers and their families. All death and pain happens because the world is broken. At the same time, the volcano’s sudden surge of power shows us God’s might. Look at how strong He is! Could anything be too hard for Him?