In June 1948, the Soviet Union blockaded the divided, war-ravaged city of Berlin. Resentful of Allied plans for German reunification, they closed the capital’s roads, railways and rivers. Ever the ruthless provocateur, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin hoped his former allies would abandon their half of the city. Then, with complete control over Berlin, the Soviets could gain a major victory over the West.

This week Pope Francis made a highly anticipated visit to the World Council of Churches (WCC) headquarters in Geneva. In an earlier interview, Evangelical pastor Martin Robra, a senior WCC official, commented, “[I]t looks as if we have reached a new spring with Pope Francis and his initiatives” (Vatican News, May 31, 2018). He stated further that “there is so much more that unites us than what separates us.” Concerning the future, Mr.

Public health officials are preparing for what they call “Disease X”—a hypothetical disease that would be virulent and infectious, with the potential to become a pandemic (a worldwide epidemic) and kill large numbers of people (The Economist, March 23, 2018). This disease might be manmade, a brand-new disease or a genetic variant of an existing disease.