"A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished." — Proverbs 22:3

Recently, Hurricane Michael pummeled the Gulf coast and the Mid-Atlantic states, causing widespread property damage and loss of life. On the heels of that, Northern California has experienced the worst fire season on record. Firefighters and rescue efforts are overwhelmed, with some small towns facing complete devastation. The loss of life is staggering, with hundreds of people still missing. Wildfires have raced through the bone-dry hills and valleys, driven by fierce Santa Ana winds—an unusual phenomenon in that area.

Many have watched recent news reports of the raging fires destroying communities in California. The number of lives lost, acres burned, homes destroyed, and missing persons climbs day by day. Throughout history, including Biblical history, fire has consumed many cities.

2018 has been a particularly destructive year for fires in California, following several years of record-breaking drought. The extremely dry conditions, coupled with strong Santa Ana winds, are the perfect ingredients for uncontrollable wildfires.

Ten years have passed since the 2008 financial crisis, and most Americans are now pleased with the direction of their nation’s economy. Unemployment is down and the stock market is up! Most news outlets are primarily concerned not with arguing about the strength of the economy, but with making sure that their party or president gets credit for it. They excel at claiming good headlines as feathers in the caps of either former President Barack Obama or sitting President Donald Trump, but fail to ask harder, more relevant questions.

“Scotland will become the first country in the world to embed the teaching of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights in the school curriculum” (The Guardian, November 9, 2018). “State schools will be required to teach pupils about the history of LGBTI equalities and movements, as well as tackling homophobia and transphobia and exploring LGBTI identity….