Welcome to 2009!
AND, Welcome to the 2nd Annual Interfaith Heroes Month!
This celebration of 31 stories about men and women who risked crossing religious boundaries — begins today with a story about John Paul II!
Please, visit the Interfaith Heroes site. Bookmark it. Pass along to friends this Web link:
http://www.InterfaithHeroes.info/
If you’re interested in building relationships with your own neighbors of other faiths, this is an excellent, low-key, uplifting opportunity to do just that. Simply invite a friend, neighbor, relative or co-worker to “read along” with you this month, then add Comments to the heroes Web site — or just talk among yourselves about what you’re reading.
ALSO, on the Interfaith Heroes landing page, check out the links on the left side of that page. You can get a free “Interfaith Passport,” a sort of scrapbooking-style souvenir of religiously diverse places you might visit in 2009. And, through another link, you can fill out an easy form to nominate more heroes for our ongoing project.
Throughout January, we guarantee you’ll find uplifting stories every day and you’ll learn a lot about heroic men and women — many of them far less famous than the late pope who we’re honoring today.
Who’s behind the Interfaith Heroes project?
ReadTheSpirit is happy to host the site and to publish the annual companion book (which this year contains about 20 more heroes than you’ll find published on the Web site — so buy the companion book to expand this adventure. The book will be available very soon on Amazon and other online book retailers). Want to know more about ReadTheSpirit? We keep our Founding Principles prominently displayed.
But ReadTheSpirit staffers did not choose this year’s group of heroes. The author of Volume 1 and Volume 2 of “Interfaith Heroes,” who took nominations from our Web site and from readers around the world is the Rev. Daniel Buttry, international peace negotiator for American Baptist Churches.
Dan worked with a network of religious leaders both from his home base in Michigan and in other parts of the world to finalize this year’s list of honorees. There’s actually quite a dramatic story behind this network of religious leaders, which Dan tells in a chapter within the Heroes-2 book.
In addition, Dan selected the 31 stories we will publish this month and the order in which we will publish them. (Watch the heroes appear each day and see if you glimpse the patterns Dan and his colleagues see in this series of honored men and women.)
Finally, we’re eager to have you add Comments, even if all you care to say is: “Thanks! I enjoyed this story.” Or perhaps you care to point out a different interpretation of a particular hero’s legacy. Or you may simply want to wish other readers a happy and peaceful new year.
We know from long experience online that simply your thoughtful words, posted to the Comments section, may wind up making the day of another reader who will see your comment on the site.
We’re making it very easy to comment. You do not have to use your full name. And, you do not have to reveal your personal contact information to other readers.
Yes, this will be a “safe place” to leave comments. We do invite vigorous discussion and people may disagree, of course, but our site is moderated to block hate speech or personal attacks on other readers.
So, enjoy!
Find inspiration!
Become a hero yourself!
PLEASE, Tell Us What You Think.
This is a good time to sign up for our Monday-morning ReadTheSpirit Planner by Email—it’s
free and you can cancel it any time you’d like to do so. The Planner
goes out each week to readers who want more of an “inside track” on
what we’re seeing on the horizon, plus it’s got a popular “holidays”
section.
Not only do we welcome your notes, ideas, suggestions and personal
reflections—but our readers enjoy them as well. You can do this
anytime by clicking on the “Comment” links at the end of each story.
You also can Email ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm. We’re also reachable on Facebook, Digg, Amazon, GoodReads and some of
the other social-networking sites as well, if you’re part of those
groups.
(Originally published at https://readthespirit.com/)
