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In the well-known biblical account of the prophet Jonah, God instructed His reluctant Israelite servant to deliver a warning to the city of Nineveh, an Assyrian stronghold. Assyria was traditionally a bitter enemy of Israel. Jonah unwisely attempted to shirk his duty and flee from his responsibility. To get away, he booked passage on a ship in Joppa (modern-day Jaffa) going to Tarshish, which some theories connect with an ancient port also called Tartessos in the region of what is now Spain, though other theories abound.

On November 19, 1863—exactly 150 years ago to this day—U.S. President Abraham Lincoln gave his historic “Gettysburg Address,” known for its famous lines: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Despite his lofty words, Lincoln understood that this proposition—like the nation as a whole—was being tested. What about today?

Fifty-five years ago, I was sitting in a high school classroom when a news broadcast came over the intercom. Soon enough, the enormity of the event became apparent. President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated!