The area of the Fertile Crescent and “the cradle of civilization,” known for its rich crops and orchards, is drying up (The Guardian, September 7, 2022). The Fertile Crescent runs from the Holy Land, along the Mediterranean Sea, and eastward along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

Last Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96, after serving as the sovereign of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for 70 years. In the words of former British prime minister Boris Johnson, the queen was “a changeless human reference point in British life” (Time, September 9, 2022).

Every monarch has a public face put forward to unify the nation, as well as a private heart shaped by personal joys and sorrows. King Charles III has ascended to the British throne at 73 years of age—47 years older than Queen Elizabeth II was at the time of her ascension. Unlike his mother, who began her rule in her twenties, Charles has already spent a lifetime shaped by sadness that will color his service as King.

The prosperity experienced by many Western democracies for the last several decades appears to be coming to an end. With global recession, global inflation, and energy woes facing Europe, the comfortable life enjoyed by so many for so long appears to be drawing to a close (France 24, August 24, 2022).