In the European Union, there is a new worry—deflation. The economic concern has been inflation in many countries—such as Argentina (about 25 percent according to private economists) and Venezuela (52 percent in 2013). With the United States economy being flooded with liquidity from “quantitative easing” by the U.S. Federal Reserve—along with massive fiscal deficits—many analysts in the United States are concerned that inflation could spike up in the U.S. as well. But in the European Union, the concerns are quite the opposite.

“Happy Hunger Games!” is the greeting from Suzanne Collin’s blockbuster sensation Hunger Games. Interestingly, fans of the movie series almost wish each other the same greeting via texts, tweets and social media messages, as they make the pilgrimage to theaters for the second movie in the trilogy, Catching Fire. But, is this movie series, which has now developed a cult following, something Christians should really be “happy” about?

The old Victory Hotel had seen better days. In fact, at that time, some 40 years ago, it was an abandoned building, shuttered and boarded up, though it was only a stone’s throw from the main railway station in the city. Passenger trains were no longer in vogue, and this area had become a pocket of decay in the city.

“The European Commission has said preventive action is needed to stop what it sees as spreading radicalism across the EU. ‘We see that extremism, xenophobia and nationalism keeps growing in Europe [and] we see worrying signals that these groups act as breeding grounds of ideology motivated by violence and extremist views,’ EU commissioner for home affairs Cecilia Malmstrom told reporters” (EU Observer, January 15, 2014).