This Week In The News
Current Events
by Norbert Link
We speak about the deeply troublesome conduct of ICE and the fearful expectation that it will get much worse as tremendous additional powers have been given them in the “One Big Beautiful Bill”; and Trump’s ongoing tariff chaos; and address Elon Musk’s new party, also in light of the controversial “Epstein files” and questionable statements of the Social Security Administration. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Epstein Scandal—No Murder and No Client List?”
We speak on Southeast Asian nations turning to Russia and the BRICS summit which has been described as another serious challenge to the USA, prompting a threat from Trump.
We speak on sudden renewed American support for Ukraine after a disappointing phone call between Trump and Putin; an uninformed warning of NATO chief Mark Rutte; and we conclude with the question as to what is meant by “Shylock” and developments in Germany.
Throughout this section, we have underlined pertinent statements in the quoted articles, for the convenience and quick overview of the reader.
Editorial
Christian Apprenticeship
Recently, my 14-year old son joined me at the non-profit transportation company that I run. He will be working as an apprentice on a part-time basis over the summer school break in our vehicle maintenance department. It is difficult for younger teens to find meaningful work, and even more so in the areas of the skilled trades. However, with the arrival of electric buses and charging controls, automotive trades are rapidly requiring skills honed at the gaming stations of a new generation.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines an apprentice as someone who has agreed to work for a skilled person for a particular period of time and often for low payment, in order to learn that person’s skills. For example: Michelangelo was apprenticed to Ghirlandaio in Florence for three years prior to setting out on his own. While it is hard to imagine him as anything less than a master of art, architecture, and science, the fact is that we all begin at a common point of knowing little and needing to learn and grow in skill and proficiency. For most of us, this begins in the first tottering days of preschool, and continues on through university and beyond.
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Are we to curse or to bless others, including our enemies? What exactly does the Bible teach?
God tells us that He will bless us when we obey Him and curse us when we disobey Him (compare Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28). He explains to us that He curses those who sin against Him. Are we therefore to curse those who sin against us—who have become our enemies?
In Matthew 5:43-44, we read: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…”
Christ loved us and died for us when we were sinners and His enemies, hoping that we would become His friends. Once that relationship of friendship with Him and His Church (His Body) has been established, He tells us to love one another with the same godly love with which He loved and loves us. This love (to love others AS He has loved us) He does not require of us in regard to our enemies in the world. But He does tell us that we are to love them which is really only possible if we have God’s love (agape) in us. How are we to love them?
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