Download “In the World” for September 11, 2022 here.
SHORTSIGHTED IN THE MILITARY
A report released last month by the Defence Safety Authority, an investigative arm of the British military, claims that a tragic death happened because someone was not wearing his contact lenses. Last year, during a live-fire training exercise at the Castlemartin range in Pembrokeshire, Wales, Sergeant Gavin Hillier, 35, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was fatally shot. The report found that the shooter was not wearing his lenses and mistook his fellow soldier for a shooting target. Without his contacts, the shooter would’ve had to be six times closer to the target to be able to distinguish what he was shooting at. Sergeant Hillier had served in several countries, including Afghanistan, where he’d fought the global war on terror, which we especially remember this weekend.
SHORTSIGHTED IN GOD’S PLAN
Jacob and Esau were twin brothers in the book of Genesis. Esau loved his wide-open spaces and wild game, while Jacob was a homebody who sometimes enjoyed vegetarian dishes. One day, Esau returned from the hunt in a state of great hunger. In order to get a bowl of the savory bean soup Jacob was cooking, Esau was willing to give away his birthright as Isaac’s firstborn son. His shortsighted decision changed the course of the two nations that would rise from their lines: Edom and Israel.
- What’s the worst tragedy you’ve heard of resulting from reduced or obstructed vision?
- As you remember the 21st anniversary of 9/11, what are your thoughts on the state of the world?
- How can we balance our real but shortsighted goals against the need to take the long view, especially as it relates to God’s plan?
Additional Resources
These videos and materials are for your personal use. If you show videos in class, be sure to have the necessary rights to do so.
- Music Video, Traditional: “Alleluia, Alleluia! The Majesty and Glory of Your Name”
- Music Video, Multicultural: “T-Shirt Man” by Common Hymnal
- Music Video, Contemporary: “More Than Halfway” by Local Sound
- Guzik’s Commentary on Genesis 25
- Coffman’s Commentary on Genesis 25
- Gill’s Exposition of Genesis 25