Some people read the newspaper with the Bible in their other hand, reading the Bible into the news, trying to make the times more significant. When the media becomes the lens through which you view the Scriptures, you’re bound to end up in some gun-running cult in a rural Texas town. On the other hand, the media plays an extremely important role in a Christian life. The news can’t be our lens for the Bible, but it can be a guide for our prayer. That’s one of the reasons I read Foreign Policy on a daily basis. For the last five years, Foreign Policy and The Fund for Peace have offered a Failed States Index. In no way is this list the absolute truth with regard to national stability, but it sure is helpful. (Read the FAQ here.)
The label “failed” remains a powerful way to describe those states that no longer serve their people. That harsh term sharpens the attention of policymakers and helps single out countries that should be of utmost concern. The threat of such state failure also focuses attention on the soon-to-crumble; it is those countries that need the most external help. … Failed states have two defining criteria: They deliver very low quantities and qualities of political goods to their citizens, and they have lost their monopoly on violence. Nation-states on the cusp of failure are either “weak” or “failing”—but not “failed.” “Collapsed” ought to be reserved for geographical expressions without governments, such as Somalia. [Disorder in the Ranks, ForeignPolicy.com]
You’ll be surprised to know that, in the midst of the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, and Michael Jackson, millions of lives are in danger every day. It is not the Christian’s responsibility to save the world. That role belongs solely to God. It is our responsibility, however, to intercede in prayer on behalf of those who do not know Christ. We pray with the news as our guide. I encourage you to read through the Failed States articles and learn more about what’s happening in the world.
by Joe Kennedy
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