Jesus was often moved with compassion for those in need. Will you learn from His example?

Violence is increasing rather alarmingly. It fills the news, with reports of murders, assaults, and other violent crimes in our cities. People are living increasingly in fear for themselves and their loved ones. Many, if not most, are taking extra safety precautions and buying alarm systems, pepper sprays, and weapons for personal protection. Why is this happening, and what can we do to protect ourselves and our families?

The recent attempt to set up a separatist country within Seattle in Washington State has failed, but was it a total loss? Yes, it’s true that four people were shot, including two young black men who died, and there were reports of rape. Vigilante justice was meted out for anyone caught stealing a cell phone, even if it was later found to have been misplaced. It is also true that graffiti marred businesses, but that is okay, because those businesses were shut down and boarded up during the takeover.

An alarming study recently appeared in the highly respected journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Examining viruses found in pigs from 2011 to 2018, Chinese scientists identified a strain of the H1N1 flu virus that has “all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus” (Reuters, June 29, 2020).

Many are aware of the devastating locust swarms in East Africa, the Middle East, and India. Now, news agencies report that a large locust swarm is taking hold in northern Argentina. The swarm covers an area of 15 square kilometers (almost 6 square miles). Farmers are worried the locusts will destroy their crops.