William Bowmer

German Prime Minister Angela Merkel shocked many with her recent comment about her nation’s commitment to accept Middle Eastern refugees. “What we are experiencing now is something that will occupy and change our country in coming years,” she said, adding that “We want the change to be positive, and we believe we can accomplish that.” Is this simply the kind and generous act of a nation trying to make amends for its Nazi past? Is it an act of economic self-interest? Or might this influx of new residents bring with them an unintended consequence?

How do you feel about church unity? The Psalmist wrote, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). The Apostle Paul wrote of his hope for a time when “we all come to the unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:13). But what exactly is unity? How do modern efforts toward church unity fit into all of this? And what are the implications of unity among those who profess Christ?

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963

Sixty years after Dr. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., is the United States—or the entire world, for that matter—any closer to realizing his dream?