Civilizations do not collapse because their enemies are strong. They collapse because their foundations weaken. They collapse because their blacksmiths disappear—those individuals who shape conviction, truth, courage, and character.

I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll still be a nation by that anniversary. Rabbi Daniel Lapin has asked the same question. His study of history reveals that when large groups of people come together to build a society, their collective effort tends to last about 250 years.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus didn't whisper platitudes; He thundered truths that upended tables and challenged empires. "You are the salt of the earth," He declared, "but if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? Yet today, far too many Christians embody flavorless salt, opting for a cushy complacency that mistakes silence for grace and avoidance for love.

The world is once again watching the Middle East with a mixture of confusion, frustration, and false hope. A cease-fire was announced. Negotiations were publicized. Headlines declared “progress.” But behind the diplomatic language and the endless press releases lies a simple, sobering truth: Hamas never intended to honor the Trump plan—because Hamas’ survival depends on deception.