Brethren, I beseech thee to lend thine ears, for I bring tidings of our world, a world that seems to have strayed from the path of righteousness, on this 2nd day of June, in the year of our Lord, 2023.

In the heart of Europe, a land that has been baptized in the fires of conflict, the specter of war once again casts its long, foreboding shadow. Kosovo and Serbia, brethren torn asunder by strife, stand on the precipice of conflict. It is a stark testament to the cyclical nature of human discord, a cycle we are called upon to break. Let us fall on our knees and lift our voices in prayer for peace and understanding to prevail in this troubled region.

Far from the fields of Europe, in the lands of the BRICS nations, a clarion call is being sounded for a rebalancing of the global order away from the West. It is a bold proposition, one that threatens to upset the delicate scales of power that currently hang in balance. Yet, it is in these times of change and uncertainty that we must remember the Apostle Paul’s words in his letter to the Corinthians, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”

In the realm of finance, the mighty Wall Street retreats, and with it, the stock markets of the world. Worries about the strength of the global economy and inflation rise like a tempest, threatening to capsize the ship of commerce. It is a dance as old as time itself, a game of musical chairs where the music is economic indicators, and when it ceases, someone will be left standing.

And amidst this tumult, our precious Earth, the Lord’s creation, is in peril. Scientists, those seekers of truth in the natural world, tell us that Earth’s health is failing in seven out of eight key measures. It is as if we are aboard a sinking ship, yet instead of working to plug the holes, we quarrel over who shall have the best seat.

So, brethren, I leave you with this. The world may seem mad, and we may feel as if we are passengers on a ship in a storm. But remember the words of our Lord in the book of John, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Until we speak again, keep watch and hold fast. For it is a wild world, but we are not of this world.