Christian author, Ericka Andersen, has recently written of her struggles with infertility and her resolution of this struggle through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Her piece offers an important perspective on IVF and how to think about this controversial procedure as a Christian: “At 33, after experiencing infertility for several years, I reluctantly turned to in vitro fertilization (IVF). A fertility specialist advised my husband and me to pursue the usual course of IVF, which involves using drugs to stimulate the growth of multiple egg follicles.

Peter summarizes the position of believers and their relationship with the heavenly Father, one characterized by reverence, faith, hope and love.

It was nearly 25 years ago that my son Jonathan and I watched the movie The Matrix. (I actually needed to watch it several times to grasp the complexities and underlying messages of the movie.) Meir Soloveichik, Director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University and rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, zeroes in on the key scene of the movie: “A man named Morpheus sits across from another man named Neo and informs him that his entire notion of reality is a lie. If Neo wishes to know the truth of human existence, Morpheus says, all he has to do is choose one of two pills. ‘You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill . . . and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes’ . . . Of course, Neo chooses the red pill and learns the terrible truth that the advent of artificial intelligence allowed machines to take over the Earth. He believes it is 1999, but in fact it is 2199, and all human beings are perpetually asleep in vats, exploited by their AI masters as a source of energy. The world they think they experience is actually a virtual reality known as The Matrix.”

Peter emphasizes the life of faith in a Savior prophesied in the Spirit-inspired Old Testament, which results in a life of hope and holiness.

It has been said that Israel has always “lived in a tough neighborhood.” That was true in the Ancient world when Israel was surrounded by the Philistia, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Phoenicia; to the south ancient Egypt; and to the east Assyria, and later Babylonia. Today, Israel enjoys a peace treaty with Egypt and Jordan but faces Hezbollah to the north (in Lebanon), Hamas to the west (in Gaza) and, of course, Iran to the east. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are supported by and funded by Iran. Together, these three entities pose an existential threat to modern Israel. In this Perspective, I want to focus on Hezbollah and Hamas.

Peter reviews the incredible blessings of salvation in Jesus Christ and the “living hope” to which the Father is calling us.

When it comes to ethical decision-making in America right now, our leaders give every evidence of having their feet firmly anchored in mid-air! The result is confusion, dysfunction and an abandonment of the clear, ethical guidelines provided for us in Scripture. Permit me a few examples of this ethical confusion.

An introduction on the character of Peter, his impulsive nature and how God transformed him, followed by Peter’s greeting to the persecuted churches of the Roman provinces of Asia, Pontus and others.

New York Times reporter Emma Goldberg recently posted a fascinating article on the growing practice of egg freezing among women in the US. She put her report in the context of women who seek to improve themselves and who seek to slow the reproductive clock: “There is always a market for products, from skin care to weight loss, promising to ease the angst of womanhood. Efforts to slow down the reproductive clock are no different. The business of egg extraction is thriving, among the privileged group of people who can access it.”

These two short epistles of John focus on truth, hospitality and faithfulness as a leader.