What a Weekend! What a Week!

There are so many places where I can begin this week's blog.  But let's begin in Egypt where the news is changing almost every hour.  Tomorrow we should know with certainty the outcome of last weekend's presidential elections.  Eleventh hour dramatics even before the voting began included the Egyptian Supreme Court dissolving of Parliament and invalidating the parliamentary elections held earlier this year - elections dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafist party candidates.  With this dissolution, the effective leadership in Egypt remained in the hands of the military generals who have run the country since the overthrowing of President Mubarak in January 2011.  Both the presidential candidates have declared victory.  The Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Muhammed Morsi, and the the last prime minister under Mubarak, Ahmed Shafiq present different programs for the advancement of Egyptian government.  Fears among many in Egypt remain that Morsi will espouse radical Islamization, including Sharia Law, while others fear that Shafiq will merely become the puppet leader for the SCAF (the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces).  One can foresee that whoever is declared the winner tomorrow, unrest will certainly prevail in Egypt.  And this becomes further enhanced with the news yesterday that the now convicted former President suffered a stroke that has placed him near death.  Real democracy seems yet very distant in the Land of the Pharaohs.

Then there are the results of the elections last weekend in Greece.  The New Conservative Party, which supported the bailout agreement reached with the European Central Bank and the IMF earlier this year, won enough votes to form a ruling coalition.  The fears that Syriza, a leftist party that objected to the bailout and the accompanying severe austerity measures, would win did not materialize, although Syriza did gather seats in the new Parliament.  Yet there is still a great deal of uncertainty in Europe over the situation in Greece.  Will the people fully support the austerity plans that Germany and others place upon them?  Will a coalition government collapse almost as soon as it is formed?  Will Greece leave the Eurozone?  And, furthermore, even as those questions are being asked, the situation in Spain becomes more severe, with the European Central Bank promising $125 billion to stave off default of Spanish loans - at least temporarily.  Europe still sits on the proverbial financial teeter-totter.  World markets will continue to reflect this uncertainty as the Euro seeks to find some solid footing.

Little noted here in the States were the parliamentary elections held last weekend in France.  The results were the Socialists winning control of the French Parliament, thus adding strength to the presidency of Francois Hollande who has said that he would enact measures of "tax and spend" to bring France out of its spiraling financial crisis.  Both houses of the French Parliament are now in the hands of the Socialists, giving free reign for President Hollande.  I wonder if "tax and spend" will work better for the French than it seemingly has worked elsewhere?

I think that takes care of elections - at least for now.  An article from the "ITAR-TASS News Agency" - a Russian paper - dated June 15, featured these headlines: "Black Sea Fleet ships ready to go to Syrian Coast."  They will be sailing to the port of Tartous, the only Russian naval base outside of the former Soviet Union.  Immediately speculation abounded as to the reasons for sending this fleet of ships - including, the armed evacuation of President Assad to Russian exile, the sending of troops to assist the Syrian forces, or the sending of more weapons to Assad.

We do know that the Russians have been deeply involved in Syrian affairs.  The photos coming out of the G-20 Summit in Cabos San Lucas in Mexico of the meeting of President Obama with Russian President Vladimir Putin echo the strain between the two leaders over Syria.  Then, just yesterday, the semi-official Iranian news agency "Fars News" stated that the Russians, Iranian, Chinese, and Syrians were planning "the biggest-ever wargames in the Middle East."  This would involved over 90,000 troops, 400 aircraft, and 1000 tanks that would take place along the Syrian coast within the next month.  The report stated that "Russian atomic submarines and warships, aircraft carriers and mine-clearing destroyers as well as Iranian battleships and submarines will also arrive in Syria and that Egypt has agreed to let 12 Chinese warships cross the Suez Canal for the exercises."  The Syrians immediately announced that the report was false.

As I was reading the story of the Russian-Syrian-Iranian-Chinese wargame plan, my heart was drawn back to the words of the ancient 6th century BC prophet Ezekiel who saw a similar coalition revealed to him by God, recorded in Ezekiel 38-39.  I began to wonder how Ezekiel would respond to the news flashes of today.  I think he would climb up the walls to the watchtower and sound the trumpet as loudly as he knew how.  Danger is imminent.  We need to be ready.  But Ezekiel would also assure us that God was in control, and for that truth, I am more grateful and hopeful - aren't you?

So, friends, don't fall into apathy this summer.  I think it will prove to be among the most exciting we have seen in our lifetimes.  And let your Bible be your guide to understanding what is happening in this world of ours.  That is the only resource that help you to make sense out of it.