Whether it be in the form of winter storms, epidemics, or other natural or man-made disasters, the threat of imminent danger on the horizon seems to trigger an urgent need for bread. I’m sure you’ve seen it. Within days or even minutes of a terrifying prediction, supermarket and convenience store shelves are emptied. Jokes are made about it and fun is poked at those who react this way. It shows the insecurity that people feel as a threat approaches.

Who are the Nicolaitans mentioned in the second chapter of the Book of Revelation? Were they some small, heretical sect that separated from the worldly body of professing Christians during the first and second centuries? Did they die out? Do they exist anywhere today?

The Telegraph reports that research continues to document the hazards of children spending time in front of electronic screens. In a review of 80 published studies, “the World Cancer Research Fund [WCRF] found increasing exposure to smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles in childhood is driving long-term weight gain—identified as one of the key causes of cancer” (November 7, 2018). In fact, obesity in childhood leads to adult obesity.

A recent BBC article laments the changing relationship between the United States, Britain, and the rest of Europe (January 14, 2019). The author reflects nostalgically on the former close ties between the U.S. and Europe—a relationship that grew closer under American presidents following the Cold War.