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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.

One of the greatest barriers to the growth and progress of the European Union is its structure—that all 27 member nations must agree on nearly every decision. A good example of just two nations blocking internal progress can be seen in the power of Poland and Hungary to block EU coronavirus recovery plans (Euro News, November 27, 2019). Simply put, there are too many people making decisions and they cannot all agree.

Hunger is a problem historically limited primarily to the developing world. But that is changing, due in part to COVID-19. Public school closures and job loss can be blamed for removing both food sources and money to buy food. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, “nearly 26 million adults do not have enough food. Among households with children, the number was as high as 1 in 6 adults” (The Hill, November 25, 2020).