Literally rising from the ashes—
COVER STORY: After surviving the now-infamous “Night that Altadena Burned,” along with his wife and their children, Jonathan Grimm is on a mission to help others find the resilient resources they need to survive catastrophes that lie ahead for millions of Americans. In this column, we’re highly recommend that you connect with Jonathan’s story—and the free resources he’s offering—as a way to encourage our families and friends to get involved in building healthy communities. And, if you agree after reading this column, please share (via the convenient social-media sharing buttons) with your friends online.
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And here’s more good news
Feeling overwhelmed by the chaotic changes surrounding us?
This spring, let master storyteller Dave Larsen take you to his ‘Green Street’
WHAT WE ALL NEED RIGHT NOW IS A GOOD, PAGE-TURNING NOVEL WITH CHARACTERS WE LOVE. Are you feeling overcome by the turbulent changes swirling all around our communities right now? Then, this spring, please read Dave Larsen’s Green Street in Black and White—a new book coming soon from Reformed Journal Books. The novel explores how community upheavals in the lives of parents in a modest Chicago neighborhood will forever affect the lives of an 11-year-old boy and his friends.
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We’re helping veterans to tell their stories
THIS WEEK, veterans are all over the news—TV stations, newspapers and online magazines—for their coast-to-coast protests of potential cuts to the VA system on which millions of veterans rely. In this Front Edge Publishing story, Joe Grimm recommends a book in which veterans came together to tell readers about their lives—and to clear up many ways that non-veterans may misunderstand or stereotype their lives. It’s timely news you can use this week—and you can tell friends about this inexpensive resource to learn more about the millions of veterans and their families living among us.
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Holidays & Festivals
Why We Cover These Stories
EDITOR’S NOTE: The ReadTheSpirit community of writers is proud to find ourselves among the “keepers of living memory” about the special religious and cultural observances that shape the lives of billions of men, women and children around the world. If you feel the same, please share Stephanie’s columns with friends, each week, via social media or email.
St. Patrick’s Day
Columnist Stephanie Fenton writes this week about the annual holiday celebrating Irish culture as well as the historic St. Patrick’s wisdom. Her column includes links to three versions of St. Patrick’s famous Breastplate prayer—a major part of his spiritual legacy to this day.
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A season of fasting—and special foods
Ramadan is also about sharing food
FOR A UNIQUE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ON RAMADAN please click here to visit the website hosted by our friends at the International Association of Religion Journalists, who have posted this story from Malaysia about the importance of food in that Asian Muslim nation during Ramadan. We want to say “Thanks!” to Zurairi AR in Kuala Lumpur for this fascinating story about how journalists in Malaysia are covering these stories this year.
AND WE ALSO SUGGEST LOOKING BACK WITH US, for a moment, to this 2021 overview of the many helpful resources we publish to help readers “meet our neighbors,” which has never been more important. This Front Edge Publishing column is headlined: Ramadan is the perfect month to learn more about our Muslim neighbors.
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And then:
How many Christians follow fasting traditions during Lent?
AND WHAT DOES “FASTING” MEAN? Holidays & Festivals expert Stephanie Fenton reports on these fascinating questions and, of course, she also provides links to delicious recipes that are a distinctive part of this season.
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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com
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Faith & film
White Lotus
What does the popular series look like for folks living in its destinations?
THAT’S THE BIG QUESTION RAISED THIS WEEK by contributing columnist Daniel Kidder-McQuown.
We last featured one of Dan’s columns in January, headlined: Healing Wisdom from a Hospital Night Chaplain
Dan recently moved to Hawaii—and launched a new personal website called A Year in Waipahu to chronicle his adventures and reflections on the islands. His first post, called simply Introduction, was posted in February.
THIS WEEK, then, Dan wrote a reflection on the hit TV series The White Lotus, since Season 1 was set in Hawaii. In his column, Dan argues that the TV series actually has little to do with the realities of life in Hawaii, however—in a couple of ways—the series does raise fascinating questions that we should consider.
Our online magazine has specialized for many years in covering news about religious and cultural diversity as reflected in new books, holidays & festivals and films. In 2024, our long-time film critic Edward McNulty died. In 2025, we will continue to publish important reviews—sometimes by drawing on Ed’s considerable body of work and sometimes by welcoming other writers.
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