Over the past several months, the nation of Syria—especially its capital, Damascus—has come to the forefront of the news. For many of us, “Syria” is just another name of another place in the Middle East that is going through upheaval. So, what can we learn if we look more closely at conflict in Syria, its place in history and what the Bible says about it?

“Cattlemen are selling animals they can’t graze or afford to buy feed for… The number of cattle in the U.S. has been dropping for years.  The Agriculture Department says the nation’s cattle inventory is the smallest since the agency began a July count in 1973” (Associated Press, July 24, 2012).

My first stint as a counselor at one of my church’s youth camps in Texas provoked me to deep thought. As I drove home, the events of the previous week soaked in—all the laughter and pleasant fellowship, the fun and sometimes challenging activities, the dorm chants, the bright faces of the kids, and so much more. It was unforgettable.

Ethnic violence has again broken out in the northeast India district of Assam.  Local people are predominantly Hindu and some are “Christian,” although there are more than 200 separate tribal groups in the region.  Much of the violence is aimed at Muslims—many of whom have come across the border from Bangladesh and Bhutan (The Globe and Mail, July 24, 2012).

As summer unfolds in the Northern hemisphere, most of the United States of America is baking in a protracted heat wave that is putting the power grid to the test and placing real stress on people, plants and animals. These punishing, record-breaking temperatures seem to be stalled over a wide area. At the same time, these same areas have experienced a dramatic decline in rainfall.