The famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking died on March 14, 2018 at age 76. His contributions to science and cosmology have pioneered significant developments in understanding our universe. And yet he had a yearning to learn even more about the universe and to “search for a complete unified theory” (A Brief History of Time, 1988, p. 13).

Many have heard the joking declaration: “Lord, please give me patience—and give it to me right NOW!” This tongue-in-cheek, satirical statement humorously depicts what is so hard about being patient.

Many have also heard the maxim “Patience is a virtue,” probably so many times that it becomes a cliché—tiresome and meaningless to them. That is regrettable because patience is a highly valuable character attribute! Whoever has and exercises patience will reap rewards.

While watching a classic epic movie from the 1960s, I was surprised when, about halfway through the film, there was an intermission. I suppose the directors figured the audience needed a brief break before the lengthy production resumed to complete the story. In live theater productions and at the symphony, an intermission is often provided before the actors again take the stage and continue the performance.

Those who call themselves Christians and attempt to follow biblical morality as they understand it are now among the most persecuted religious groups in the world (Newsweek, January 4, 2018). Sadly, this is increasingly true even in nations where “Christianity” is considered the predominant religion.

With the U.S. and Britain quickly fading from their global leadership positions, China has stepped into the gap! “[F]rom the fight against climate change to global trade rules,” China has risen to the level of a world superpower and “the past year has seen its status cemented” (Deutsche Welle, February 15, 2018). Chinese historian Zhang Lifan observed, “The current situation is China wants to be a world leader, at all costs.”