Some have asked why we focus on news events and Bible prophecy each week—since prophecy seems like “bad news” that can be depressing and upsetting, especially to young people. So why do we do it? Because Jesus Christ repeatedly instructed His disciples, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42; 25:13). The Apostle Paul also warned, “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

There is a recent trend involving young girls, ages 8 to 14. These children make a video asking viewers, “Am I pretty or ugly?” and post it on the Internet. There are approximately 500,000 videos on YouTube posted by preteen and teenage girls who ask viewers this question and solicit brutally honest feedback on their appearance. These videos are a symptom of a society obsessed with physical appearance while overlooking the much more important trait of moral character.

Scientists have recently published results from a secret study of bones stored in the Aachen Cathedral. One researcher noted regarding the 1,200-year-old bones that, “Thanks to the results from 1988 up until today, we can say with great likelihood that we are dealing with the skeleton of Charlemagne” (The Local, January 31, 2014).

Ursula von der Leyen, nick-named the Crown Princess by the German press, is Germany’s first female defense minister (The Times, February 9, 2014). With her eyes on the chancellorship, von der Leyen “has been striving to create a cross-party alliance in favor of challenging the 69-year-old taboo against military action” (ibid.).

The winds of change are blowing in Germany. “Since the end of World War II, Germany has pursued a relatively tame foreign policy. But over the past week, Berlin appeared to have acknowledged the need for a fairly dramatic change. German leaders… have called for a new framework that contravenes the restraint Germany has practiced for so long.