Here in the Fourth Watch blog we examine current trends in this nation or the world that I believe are harbingers of earth’s darkest hour (what the ancient Romans called the fourth watch) just before the sunrise of Christ’s return.

If you’re afraid of heights, don’t read any further. But can you imagine people actually doing this for a living? The engineering firm—Wiss (that’s not “woos”), Janey, Elostner Associates Inc., from Northbook, Illinois—has been hired by the National Park Service to provide an inch-by-inch inspection of the Washington Monument in our nation’s capital.

“Trim the Fat, Roast the PIIGS,” yelled one headline. “Is Europe Going to the PIIGS?” chided another. For those who aren’t following the European Union’s debt crisis, PIIGS is an acronym for Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain—five European nations on the brink of bankruptcy. In fact, some are estimating that Greece’s bankruptcy is now 98% certain.

This Tuesday I sat with rapt attention, along with the rest of the student body (you could have heard a pin drop), as Stanley Praimnath recounted his harrowing survival  on the morning of September 11, 2001.

The old American folk song sings it well, doesn’t it?

Facebookers on the west coast have had fun, good-naturedly chiding their east coast cousins. “A 5.8 magnitude earthquake—and you’re hyperventilating?” After all, the 7.0+ magnitude quakes Californians have lived with for decades do make the temblor in Virginia this week seem a bit “wimpy.” But a quake is a quake.

Just as the ubiquitous yellow school busses are revving up to begin another school year across the nation comes word about President Obama’s brand new $1.1 million mystery bus. Perhaps you’ve seen it on his road trip this week through some of our Midwest neighbor states—that new Greyhound-size black bus, with blacked out windows and red and blue police lights. Few details of the bus have been released, although the Christian Science Monitor website has conjectured what the imposing bus might be like.

Do you remember learning to count? What kinds of things did you count? What kinds of things do you count today? What kinds of things should you be counting? This summer I started recounting some things. Our family went to Italy this summer. My daughter was taking a college class (yes, my little girl is now in college), my husband and I were spiritual leaders on the trip.

I was visiting after the conclusion of another seminary class.  I was sharing with one of my friends how I enjoyed the diversity of Andrews University.  Our conversion turned to how much progress our country has made in civil rights.   I asked what has been her experience as an African American growing up since MLK and the civil rights movement.  She was a little younger than myself so I expected a pretty mild testi