It's a crazy world, but...

Recently, the Islamic State (IS) has brutally beheaded and executed hostages; the Ebola epidemic in West Africa has continued to expand, and has even begun to affect Europe and North America; school shootings have continued to occur across the United States; and even Canada, which has always been known as peaceful, has also experienced local terrorist shootings; The poisonous oil crisis and political and business collusion in Taiwan have been seriously exposed... All of this makes people feel heartbroken, anxious, disappointed, and worried. We can't help but ask: Where is the hope of this world?

At the same time, we continue to live, sunrise and sunset, we still have to face every day...

Not long ago, my grandmother, who was in her nineties, passed away in California. Four generations of our family gathered to commemorate her. Amidst the tears of reluctance, there was great joy, celebrating her entering eternal life. There are newborns in the family, people new to the workplace, and mature people who are about to retire. My son Junan (Andrew) had a lot of good things going on in 2014 - he graduated from law school in May, received a doctorate in law, and passed the judicial examination to obtain a lawyer's license; in June, he announced his engagement to his girlfriend of more than five years, Amy. These are a pair of young people who are committed to following Christ. They face many important choices in life and know that the road to following Christ may be difficult, but they are full of enthusiasm and courage. All of this brings me hope!

I have a sneak peek at the exciting content of this issue of "Kingdom of God". Politics is the central topic of this season’s national community unit, and it is also something that a citizen should be concerned about. What attitude should we adopt when facing politics, and what principles should we use to cast a "sacred vote"? This issue has an in-depth discussion. In the kingdom relations section "Who is My Family" and "From Broken to Rich Life", the extraordinary life stories of the two interviewed protagonists, Mei Guoping and Donna Parachin, are astonishing at God's love and miraculous deeds. In the national outreach unit, the Shepherd's Heartfelt Column "You Will Not Regret" is as warm as the sun as in the past, but also full of refreshing reflections and challenges. In addition, the National Talent Unit has launched a new exciting column - the first article "Honesty is the best policy" written by entrepreneur Lin Yuanshang, is a must-read for every working person! The National Culture Unit talked about the importance of paper and online reading (this reminded me of the years when I was growing up with my son Jun'an. The three of us in the family were all bookworms. To this day, the sweet time between mother and son is still shared. Reading experience, discussion of different views), from every unit in this issue, we can indeed see hope.

My son Jun'an has grown up. We belong to different generations. I am a baby boomer, and he is a millennial born between 1980 and 2000. We have different opinions and views on politics, economics, and even theology. , to communicate and work together, we need to cross the cultural gap first! However, we see hope in our determination to love God and others. In the spring of 2015, we are looking forward to the new Spring Divine Culture Practice Camp after the transformation. Each participant will not only enjoy a wonderful and rich all-round feast of body, mind and soul, but also break through their own framework, have the courage to challenge, and then exert their cross-cultural influence. Influence, bringing heavenly hope to the world! Looking forward to seeing you. Please see the back cover or page 6 for details.

Author profile Gao Lili is the founder and CEO of Kingdom of God Christian Association. He has served as a senior executive in large American companies for many years and is currently in full-time ministry. He often lectures and leads camps throughout North America and Asia, and is extremely responsible for training leadership and management models that are in line with God’s will.