As many of us sit stunned by the condition of our country and the world, we must be at least asking ourselves how it got so bad. How have we allowed such a drastic plunge both culturally and economically? What's the driving force of destruction? As we search, we will undoubtedly confront the hypothesis of evil, or at least apathy.

This week's Midwest Meeting featured Denise Ham and Carl Osgood. They looked at Dante Alighieri and his commitment to lift the people of Italy out of the cultural depravity surrounding them through the development of a unified language and the concept of a modern nation-state dedicated to the general welfare, such as the US once was. Tune in for a journey through Dante's Commedia, traveling from Hell to Heaven, to help grasp what will be necessary of us all in a moment such as ours - one equally gripped by both hope and despair.