At this point in history, the world is watching Mideast events to see what UN inspectors say really happened at Jenin. Palestinians claim it was a massacre while Israelis call it a military operation. The Palestinian description applies also to what their terrorists did in Haifa on Passover, since it was a Passover Massacre which provoked the Israeli invasion of the west bank territory that's supposed to eventually become the state of Palestine. So that sounds like Exodus 21:23ff justice: "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" and even "ox for ox." Perhaps the UN will avoid using such terminology just for the sake of the Palestinians. Jenin was the hotbed of terrorism as a relocation camp. It's residents must have been enraged about such a plight enough to want their sons and daughters used as living bombs against Israel. They held celebrations over their martyrdom, but now they are claiming that over 500 of them were killed, though that many bodies are not being found. So now that tanks and troops are withdrawn, the UN just might have to agree with Israel's description of "military operation" (strange as that would be); while down at Bethlehem there's a slight chance of resolving the three week stand-off if Israel will allow the gunmen still inside the church of Nativity to go to Gaza instead of only the choice already offered to them: surrender to face trial or be permanently exiled. If they go to Gaza, I can imagine that tiny strip turning out as the only state Palestinians ever get. After all, it's territory of the ancient Philistines who fought Israel when Saul and then David were kings. They had the giant named Goliath, that young David slew with his sling shot (like 20 million in the Arab League). And their name comes from "philistine." Such a devastating eventuality for them would leave Jerusalem still to the Jews where it Biblically belongs. But Palestine might yet be better off than moving it to the moon, as I heard one TV reporter facetiously suggest (space travel to relocate three and a half million earthlings could prove expensive indeed).
Maybe not the world, but at least the US is watching the gathering of seventy cardinals of the Roman Catholic church with the pope in Rome. I heard a reporter from abroad saying there was little mention of it in their media. But here in America anything connected with sex attracts the public eye, especially when there's scandal involved. It must be painful for our fellow Catholics, though I haven't talked with any about it. So many of our most prominent newsmen are involved and most have been outspoken against tolerating any homosexuality or pedaphilia in their church. Mike Barnicle, a columnist for the New York Times, was the most irate one that I heard. He called for Cardinal Law to resign and for priests guilty of abuse to be prosecuted, even though he's a Catholic himself. I would be very cautious in what I said, if I believed that my eternal soul was in the custody of the priesthood. Catholics tend to equate the "Church" with Christ and His kingdom ever since St.Augustine wrote "The City of God" in the fifth century. This crisis may shake them out of that neo-platonic stance and subsequent Thomism into this post-modern chaos in which Christ Himself is our only hope (and His return our constant prayer).