Amid a torrent of news, eddies of calm

I love puzzles, so one of my favorite tasks as Weekly editor is to coordinate the lineup of stories that fill these pages.

It’s a multifaceted challenge. Variety is key, not just topical, but geographical and ideological as well. Another consideration is the availability of compelling photography and artwork. But one of the trickiest factors to wrangle is timing. Between our printer deadline and the variability of mail delivery, we have to cast our thinking forward two to three weeks in the future. 

When U.S. President Donald Trump took office in late January, events in Washington were changing rapidly. We couldn’t reasonably assume that what was accurate at the time a story ran on www.CSMonitor.com would still be accurate when the Weekly magazine landed in mailboxes. In those instances, we tucked in reminders to look to our website for ongoing coverage.

But as this issue came together, a different challenge emerged: We had more coverage of U.S. politics than we knew what to do with.

The fire hose of executive orders, firings, shake-ups, and portentous speeches all felt extremely significant. The United States is clearly in a moment of profound change. And, as the cover story featured in the March 10 issue of the Monitor Weekly attests, that change is rippling around the world. 

At the same time, the Monitor was founded as an international newspaper. U.S. politics has always been a mainstay of our coverage. But so has international news. Mary Baker Eddy, the Monitor’s founder, strove to cultivate global citizens who see themselves as members of a collective humanity. 

That idea has only gained import in recent months and years as individuals, in the U.S. and abroad, have become increasingly insulated by echo chambers.

In the end, we took a both/and approach to this issue. As you read, you’ll find several stories exploring the ramifications of the current upheaval in the U.S. government. Those stories are important and bring a degree of clarity to a tumultuous moment that is likely to impact the world for years to come. 

But I also hope that you will take the time to peruse our other offerings. Stories like our Profiles in Leadership feature of a Nigerian farmer and our In Pictures photo-essay exploring efforts to save Madagascar’s forests may feel a bit random. But they, too, have import. They invite readers to step outside of themselves and consider the struggles, joys, and innovations of global compatriots. Perhaps their biggest value is as testament to the idea that, no matter how complex the world’s problems get, there will always be people striving to find a path forward.

This column first appeared in the March 10 issue of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly. Subscribe today to receive future issues of the Monitor Weekly magazine delivered to your home.