Surprise! Why We Need to Watch World News

There is an extreme disconnect between many of us and world news. Is this a problem? An example from history shows us that it is—and your Bible agrees!

On Dec. 7, 1941, the world changed forever.

On a quiet Sunday morning in Oahu, Hawaii, nearly 400 Japanese planes attacked American naval facilities on the island, including the base at Pearl Harbor. Many of the soldiers and sailors found themselves in the middle of a war that they didn’t want and were forced to fight.

One such man single-handedly fought and brought down a Japanese plane in order to do what he could to protect his country.

One man

Chief Petty Officer John Finn had started another day in paradise the same as usual—waking up and making himself a cup of coffee. Then the attack started, and he rushed to his base at Kaneohe Bay, a small airfield on Oahu.

Once at Kaneohe, he saw the planes that he and his men were charged with taking care of, and they were burning. They had been hit by Japanese bombs that had dropped before his arrival. The Japanese didn’t want any planes launching into the air, and at Kaneohe they had succeeded.

Upon seeing the wreckage of his airfield, rage filled Finn, and he rushed to a group of men, urging them to arm themselves and fight. Rushing to a truck, he grabbed guns and started to hand them out. Finally, he saved a big .30-caliber gun for himself and started to fire at the Japanese planes.

He soon realized that the heavy gun was too much for him to hold, so he got a stand and fired on the Japanese from his new post. One of the 29 planes shot down that day was due to his bold efforts to courageously defend the airfield and fire on the invaders. But now he was an open target, boldly challenging the Japanese pilots.

John Finn was shot through the heel, among other injuries, and received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valiant work. Many of his colleagues, however, weren’t so lucky. At Kaneohe Bay 18 were killed, and another 2,385 men were killed throughout the island. Finn might have accomplished something great, but it was at a great cost.

Ignorance has its costs

The commanders at Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and General Walter C. Short, knew that there was a possibility that Pearl Harbor might be attacked. However, it wasn’t a possibility that they took seriously. They were among the thousands of shocked Americans when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Because of their ignorance of the state of affairs in Japan and failure to act on what knowledge they did have, a total of 2,403 men died.

What about us? Our ignorance and failure to act on world events probably won’t cause the death of thousands of people, but it does have its effects. We have to keep an eye on world events, more so in our age than ever.

In Matthew 24 and 25, Christ gave His famous Olivet Prophecy. In it, He warns us about dramatic events that will precede His coming. This prophecy is dual, meaning that it has two fulfillments. The first fulfillment culminated in the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. Those who listened to Christ’s words and knew what was happening were able to flee and save their lives.

What about us? Will we be spiritually and mentally prepared when the time comes? In order for this to happen, we must understand what is happening in the world. Events in the Middle East are at a flash point right now, and they will likely change the world and bring us that much closer to the awesome day when Christ returns. That is why Christ Himself told us to watch (Matthew 25:13; Revelation 3:3).

What do we know about these events?

As students, we are hard-pressed for time and struggle to get everything done. Yet we must keep our eyes on world events. Things happening now in Tehran or Berlin could change our lives forever. The more we know, the better prepared we will be for the time when the world tears itself to shreds. If we don’t know what is happening around us, it will be impossible to know what will happen to us.

Watch world events, for they will determine your events. Don’t let the future be a complete surprise—be prepared. Christ has told us the signs. We have to watch and be prepared.

Joshua Travers is a freshman at Ohio University, where he plans to major in history. He attends the Athens, Ohio, congregation.