Interactive DevotionalIn the classic dark ride at Disneyland and replicated by other Disney Parks, dolls sing and dance to the hypnotic tune of It's a Small World. The concept behind the ride is unity among diversity. All of the children sing the same words in different languages to the same melody. No matter the culture, living in harmony with all cultures, races, and creeds is the goal. A sign at the beginning of the ride declares, "Welcome to the happiest cruise that ever sailed." Was Walt Disney wearing rose-colored glasses when he approved this ride to be built for the World's Fair in 1964? Did he really believe that adding waters from all of the seas of the world to the ride's channel would create a genuine unity that is personified in the song and animations? What is it about differences that make things so hard to achieve peace? Is it possible to maintain peaceful relations with other races, religions, genders, and nations? Will Miss America ever get her wish granted for world peace? | |
Timeline of Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations
We begin with...
Egypt
Old Kingdom | Middle Kingdom |
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| With the Egyptians - their dynasties, mummies, pyramids, and hieroglyphics, and rich archaeological traces - we can easily track what was happening during Bible history. To imagine what was happening in Egypt while one reads what was happening to Israel can be a fascinating study. We often think of history as being flat and two-dimensional, but in reality it is multilayered - stacked like a cake but filled with something a lot more bitter than buttercream. |
Syria
MESOPOTAMIAYou may have heard of the Sumerians and Akkadians at some point. The history of this region includes Babylonia, Assyria, and Persia. This video explains a bit more. AND THE WEST | |
geography/Cartography
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