News

A trade war is underway between China and Australia, due in part to Australia’s inquiries into the origins of the coronavirus (AlJazeera, November 27, 2020). In November, China slapped a 200 percent tariff on Australian wine imports.

Twenty-seven leaders of the world’s biggest businesses recently announced a partnership with the pope (NBC News, December 8, 2020).

In many nations around the globe, COVID-19 restrictions are crippling economies and forcing many into joblessness. In the Philippines, the rates of hunger are unprecedented, and food charities are struggling to keep up (AFP, December 9, 2020). A director of one food charity observed, “If you go out there everybody will tell you that they’re more afraid of dying from hunger than dying from COVID. They don’t care about COVID anymore.”

In recent decades, the Muslim population in Europe has been on the rise, and this has contributed to political and social tensions in many European countries.

The United States experiences deeper divisions with each passing day. With every tweet, headline, and lawsuit, people use the word “enemy” more frequently, despite being an especially harsh insult to call one’s fellow countrymen. When we see politicians and celebrities and activists label others “enemy,” we might call to mind certain teachings and lessons from the Bible.