News

“Breaking News!” blares the media as another tragic shooting, bombing, knifing, or other terroristic act occurs in a church, synagogue, or amongst any gathering of people. Just by going about daily life, people expose themselves to the real danger of being killed or injured by religious fanatics or violent, glory-seeking criminal shooters. Individuals or groups fueled by racial hatred cause death and destruction.

In response to Iran’s downing of an American surveillance drone in international waters, the United States launched a cyber-attack on Iranian weapons systems, including their missiles and rockets (The Guardian, June 22, 2019). The attack had apparently been planned for weeks and was first conceived in response to the suspected Iranian attack of two international oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.

Jesus Christ instructed His disciples, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). He also warned, “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:26). But does following Jesus’ advice only impact us spiritually?

There are now over 2,000 Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa and over 1,300 deaths in this current outbreak. “The daily number of new Ebola cases has tripled in recent months, according to aid organizations.” There are 15–20 new cases of the disease each day (Deutsche Welle, June 4, 2019).

At a meeting in Tajikistan last weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented Chinese president Xi Jinping with a large box of ice cream and a couple of other items, in celebration of Xi Jinping’s 66th birthday (AFP, June 15, 2019). The nations have developed a close trading relationship in recent years, and the two leaders have developed a close personal friendship.