Below are this week's Articles of Interest as compiled by Mr. Van Baker. This collection of articles is cultivated by Mr. Baker with the goal of highlighting some of the trends, upheavals, and things to watch for in our society. These articles are not necessarily the express views of the United Church of God, Mr. Baker, or me as the pastor, but they are informative of what is occurring in our nation and culture. In accordance with Christ's warning to correctly discern the times (Matthew 16:1-4), it is wise to be aware of what is going on around us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Time [Magazine]'s 2025 Person of the Year: The architects of AI – “2025 was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back,” Time said in its announcement on Thursday [12/11] morning. “For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/times-2025-person-of-the-year-the-architects-of-ai-172342364.html

A Decade of “Words of the Year” – The alien language your kids are speaking reveals a deeper cultural reality.
https://breakpoint.org/a-decade-of-words-of-the-year/

Pritzker signs bill allowing some terminally ill adults to take their own lives with medical help – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law allowing some adults with a terminal illness to take their own lives with medical help. Senate Bill 1950, also known as "Deb's Law" will take effect in September 2026. It allows terminally ill adults, with a six-month or less prognosis, the option to request a prescription, which they can self-ingest to die on their own terms, from their doctor.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-assisted-suicide-law-gov-jb-pritzker-signs-bill-allowing-terminally-ill-adults-take-own-lives-medical-help/18279722/

For the First Time Since the Temple’s Destruction: Levites Return to Sing on Temple Mount – The silence that has hung over the Temple Mount for nearly two thousand years was broken Thursday [12/11] morning when three Levites ascended Judaism’s holiest site and sang the daily psalm. The moment marks an unprecedented restoration of an ancient Temple service that ceased with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
https://israel365news.com/414317/for-the-first-time-since-the-temples-destruction-levites-return-to-sing-on-temple-mount/

Why is Jesus always "in a hurry" in the Gospel of Mark? – If you’ve ever sat down and read through the Gospel of Mark in one sitting, one word stands out like a flashing light: "immediately." Mark says it again and again — more than forty times.
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/why-is-jesus-always-in-a-hurry-in-the-gospel-of-mark.html

Massive Hindu Idol to Be Raised in US State, Taller Than Statue of Liberty – A massive 155-foot statue of a Hindu god is being built in North Carolina, and the project is already underway. The world's tallest statue of "Murugan" is being planned in Moncure in Chatham County, NC, the Indian Eagle reports. The "warrior god" will be at the center of the Carolina Murugan Temple Campus, which will be on 130 acres of residential land.
https://cbn.com/news/us/massive-hindu-idol-be-raised-us-state-taller-statue-liberty

The Mystery Stone – [from 2024] Does a rock in New Mexico show the Ten Commandments in ancient Hebrew? A Harvard professor says 'yes.'
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/the-mystery-stone

Touch Screens Are Making Cars Worse – Big touch screens look cool, but they’re difficult (and sometimes dangerous) to operate. It’s Time to Bring Back Buttons and Knobs.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/car-technology/a64543699/touch-screens-making-cars-worse/