As the U.S. government shutdown continues, world leaders are shaking their heads in disbelief. “Germans have found it hard to understand American lawmakers’ inability to resolve their budget disagreements in time to prevent a shutdown” and are left wondering “how things could have been allowed to get to this point and why there is so much poison in the system” (Der Spiegel, October 2, 2013).

The political maneuvering over how to deal with Syria’s chemical weapons reveals the growing weakness of the West—especially the U.K. and the U.S. With David Cameron’s failure to convince Parliament to support military action against Syria and Russia’s opportunity to “save” President Obama from an embarrassing congressional refusal to take action against Syria, “it suddenly became clear just how far the influence of the West has ebbed” (The Economist, September 21, 2013).

Throughout history, many millions of people have lived in nations where a state religion was enforced. Some of these religions have been relatively mild in their influence, while others have been severe. Even today, despite the trend toward secularism, dozens of nations have at least a nominal state religion. Modern generations have grown up during a period of secularism in Western nations, and many may be tempted to think that the country in which they live will never be under a state religion.

Are we guaranteed to be wiser and more mature in ten or fifteen years than we are today? Looking back, can we see the evidence of greater wisdom and understanding in our own lives today compared to a decade ago? If you have never put much thought into this subject, the answer might be “no”—but that could change.

There is a persistent legend that holds a fascination for many people, especially those of a religious bent. Since the Middle Ages, some have sought a mysterious object, often resulting in armed conflicts with loss of life and property. This “quest” has been the subject of theatrical plays, adventure novels, and even comedy routines.