This week the World Health Organization (WHO) held the 73rd annual World Health Assembly by teleconference instead of in Geneva, Switzerland. What made this meeting unique is the fact that it was held in the midst of “the worst pandemic in modern history,” which has most of the world locked down in quarantine (NPR, May 17, 2020).

There are times when I think that my dog may be smarter than I am. I believe that most dog owners feel this way at some point. This thought occurred to me on an evening when she helped teach me a valuable life lesson.

People who love the Bible know that many of its scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, reference songs, singing, and music. Praising God in song is a beautiful and enjoyable way to express love, adoration, and gratitude, along with appropriate emotion, to God the Father—and sometimes can even be a healthy way to express sorrow and sadness.

In 2018, the last year for which accurate statistics are available, the marriage rate in the United States dropped to its lowest level since 1900 (Atlanta Journal Constitution, April 29, 2020). Just 6.5 out of 1,000 people got married in 2018, down from 7.0 in 2016. Many experts believe this number will continue to drop in future years.

During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan this year (April 23–May 23), mosques in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and several other American cities are publicly broadcasting the “call to prayer” five times a day (Al Jazeera, April 24, 20202).