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‘Good Media Builds Healthy Communities‘ is Our Motto and Promise

AS 2020 DRAWS TO A CLOSE …

THIS DARK AND DEADLY YEAR WAS TRAGIC—but it also inspired countless men and women to shine hopeful lights in our world. Since our founding in 2007, our publishing house team has released a new lineup of ReadTheSpirit magazine stories every week—700 issues in all! To close out 2020, here are the 12 most popular Cover Stories among our last 52 issues. This ranking is based on the readership numbers of our 2020 stories as well as the levels of follow-up contacts we’ve had with readers, colleagues and friends around the world as a result of these stories.

12. Celebrating Our Religious Diversity

In 2020, MSU JOURNALISM STUDENTS, known as “THE BIAS BUSTERS,” launched their 18th guide to cross-cultural awareness—focusing on the uniquely American religious movement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our Cover Story explained why the MSU team chose the LDS church for their latest book—and why understanding religious minorities is crucial in bringing Americans back together, again. One inspiring comment you’ll find in this Cover Story comes from an LDS member who reflects on the pain of the myths and stereotypes so many Americans hurl around in everyday conversations. “When our hyper-focusing on differences causes us to lose sight of our common humanity—and we treat people as less than human because they’re not like us—we betray the ‘better angels of our nature.’ The world is less full of love, joy and peace. Everyone suffers when one suffers.”

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11. Free Resources on Diversity

NATHAN ALBERT IS JUST ONE OF OUR AUTHORS who devoted extra effort during the COVID pandemic to helping readers learn more about diversity—and invite friends along for a discussion. We asked Nathan to write this Cover Story because, as he explains, “I am finding myself in the media spotlight again, as an associate chaplain at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia, because Religion News Service staff writer Aysha Kahn featured me prominently in a story about innovative approaches to ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic. The headline on that RNS story showed up on social media and other websites far and wide.” Our Cover Story featured a link to the RNS story, plus we invited Nathan to introduce the other free resources he is offering including a podcast about spiritual practices that has proven to be especially appropriate in the midst of COVID isolation.

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10. Raised in War—Her Vocation Was Peace

In 2020, THE WORLD LOST MOTOKO HUTHWAITE, who lived such a unique life that The New York Times devoted an extensive obituary, saluting her life as an “Art Preserver.” That’s because Motoko served, after the war, in the now-famous corps of Monuments Men and Monuments Women, specializing in recovering and restoring looted cultural treasures. She worked in the Pacific theater with the team and eventually was the last surviving member of the Monuments Women, who had numbered 27. The opening sentences in the brief memoir she wrote for our book Friendship and Faith are as gripping as any lines we’ve ever published: “When the sirens went off again, we all went and sat in the air raid shelter expecting to die there. There was no stopping the atomic bombs if they hit.” As a result of living through World War II as a Japanese-American—living both in the U.S. and Japan during the war—Motoko developed a deep commitment to peacemaking that spanned the rest of her life. Please, enjoy this Cover Story and share it with friends.

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09. A Peacemaker’s Holiday Story

HOWARD BROWN’S LONG COMMITMENT TO PEACEMAKING is part of the upcoming 2021 memoir, Shining Brightly, a book that certainly will embody this theme that everyone can shine hope-filled light in the world. For the Jewish High Holy Days in the autumn of 2020, Howard wrote a true story that has been shared and re-shared around the world. The headline was, At Rosh Hashanah 5781, remembering a shofar that a Muslim friend carried half way around the world. Howard also is a two-time survivor of stage-four cancer and another major part of his life is helping to support individuals and families struggling with cancer. A week after his Rosh Hashanah column, Howard wrote another widely shared column about the bittersweet moment at Yom Kippur in which people solemnly reflect on the meaning of the life they have been given by God. The headline was, The timeless question: ‘Who shall live and who shall die?’ These are columns we know readers will continue to share for a long time.

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08. ‘Blue Nuns’ and Green Living

THIS NOSTALGIC PHOTO summons deep memories for millions of Americans who were taught by nuns. But make no mistake. Patricia Montemurri’s new book about one of the most influential religious orders to serve American families makes it clear that these sisters—brilliant pioneers in many fields—are now a global model for Green living. Yes, their numbers have dwindled—and their ages have risen—but a few women still are joining the order. Most importantly, even as they have aged, these pioneers have focused their ministry on what they can control. That includes a multi-million-dollar transformation of their enormous Motherhouse in Michigan into a global model of green systems. This Cover Story proved popular with readers, in part, because these sisters’ legacy is truly global. They taught an estimated 700,000 people in more than 100 Catholic schools in the Detroit-area, across Michigan and several other states as well as overseas.

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07. ‘Unstuck’

WE COULD NOT HAVE PLANNED A MORE APPROPRIATE BOOK FOR 2020-21! How can overwhelmed leaders hope to cope with a pandemic? One of the nation’s top business consultants—Craig Lemasters of GXG in Atlanta—is sharing his answers to that question. His book Unstuck was underway before any of us had heard the term “coronavirus”—but Craig’s long experience with global disruption had taught him that catastrophic upheavals are inevitable. From hurricanes to technological transformations that can devastate entire industries, Craig has seen tidal waves of change move faster and faster. In Atlanta, his team helps Fortune 500 executives grapple with such seemingly insurmountable challenges every day.

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06. ‘What Can We Do Now?’

SEVERAL OF OUR MOST WIDELY SHARED COVER STORIES IN 2020 focused on racial injustices from many different perspectives. Among the most influential was a two-part Cover Story by Dr. Anni Reinking. She is a researcher and educational consultant with a specialty on the racial dynamics shaping the lives of children and families. Part 1 was: What Now? Dr. Anni Reinking reminds us it’s ‘Not Just Black and White.’ This column—which includes helpful links to other scholars as well—explains the long legacy of America’s “breathing racism.” Anni also explains the problem black families encounter when their children suddenly face an unfair “adultification” by authority figures, including police. Part 2 was: Dr. Anni Reinking on ‘What can I do now?’ In this second column, Anni responds directly to the question so many men and women are asking today: “What can I do now?” She doesn’t claim to have the only “right” answers. Rather, she describes tried-and-true approaches she is taking with her own family, friends, co-workers and her students.

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05. ‘Becoming Brave’

‘BECOMING BRAVE—FINDING THE COURAGE TO RESIST RACIAL INJUSTICE NOW’ was one of the most influential books we recommended in our 52 Cover Stories this year. The author of that book is the Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil who directs the Reconciliation Studies program in the School of Theology at Seattle Pacific University, preparing students to engage the culture around them as Christian reconcilers. Her new book, Becoming Brave, is a call to action for people in congregations who want to get more involved in the work of changing America. At various points in the new book: McNeil talks to us as a teacher; sometimes she preaches a little bit; occasionally she tells compelling stories of real people she has encountered—and her entire narrative is interwoven with the life of Esther. Esther is the courageous queen in the Bible who risked her life to protect people targeted with genocide under the reign of a Persian king.
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04. ‘Beyond Hashtag Activism’

MAE ELISE CANNON GAVE US A CRASH COURSE ON FAITH AND JUSTICE in 2020 with her new book Beyond Hashtag Activism: Comprehensive Justice in a Complicated Age. Cannon is a leading Christian expert on sorting out the often-confusing impulses of our hearts. In our Cover Story, we called her “a Christian ethical organizer.” Her encyclopedic new handbook covers lots of life-and-death topics, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the #MeToo movement and the rights of LGBTQ people. Her book is as timely as today’s front-page news. PLUS stay tuned in in 2021,because our online magazine plans to collaborate with Cannon—and some of her colleagues—on a series of occasional columns about spiritual wisdom from the ancient Christian churches of the Middle East. When those stories begin appearing in late January, you’ll definitely want to share them with friends.

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03. ’30 Days with King David’

AND SPEAKING OF ANCIENT SPIRITUAL WISDOM—pastor, Bible scholar and leadership coach Larry Buxton launched 30 Days with King David—on Leadership. King David is both a world-class hero for defeating Goliath and also a beloved writer of Psalms that millions of us remember in daily prayer and Bible readings. What was must remarkable about the launch of this book was its bipartisan support in a year when it seemed that Democrats and Republicans could not agree about anything. The proof of the bipartisan appeal of this new book is in its opening pages. Take a look at our Cover Story on King David that featured links to the Foreword written by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and the Preface written by Republican leader Andrew Card.

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02. A Pot of Soup Across 4,300 Miles

ONE OF OUR MOST UNUSUAL COVER STORIES IN 2020 involved two journalists and their families who live half way around the world from each other! We posed the question: Can something as simple as a pot of soup help us to reconnect, even the midst of this global pandemic? Two regular contributors to our online magazine are Elisa Di Bendetto and Martin Davis—who are physically separated by 4,300 miles. She is based in Italy; he’s near Washington D.C. They became friends through the International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ) and have visited in person over the years at IARJ events. As spring turned to summer in 2020, they both were reminded via email and social media that their thoughts were turning toward their mutual love of cooking with fresh ingredients, especially the first crop of summer vegetables. In this cover story, they came together to talk about an Italian classic—minestrone—plus they are sharing colorful photos as well as their personal recipes.

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01. ‘Reuniting the Children of Abraham’

THE No. 1 MOST INFLUENTIAL COVER STORY in 2020 was published in January. More than 100 Girl Scouts from across Michigan gathered at the internationally renowned Detroit Institute of Arts for a one-day challenge to explore the many religious themes in the DIA’s collection. This elaborately planned day of cross-cultural discovery was part of the 2020 redesign and relaunch of Brenda Rosenberg’s innovative Children of Abraham peacemaking project. We reported on this unique day of adventure—as well as new friendships that were sparked across racial, cultural and religious lines—during the various opportunities within the multimedia program. With the publication of this book, Brenda’s program now is a national model for building multi-generational interfaith relationships that you can easily share with friends, discuss in your small group—and consider adapting for your region.

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Holidays & Festivals

Kwanzaa

STARTING SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26—Gather in the name of unity and learn the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Each year, Kwanzaa founder Dr. Maulana Karenga publishes an annual message. Now in his late 70s, these messages are heart-felt appeals to rediscovering and reclaiming African values that can contribute to the wellbeing of the whole world. Stephanie Fenton’s column quotes last year’s message—and has the link where you can find Karenga’s 2020 message, when it is published.

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Books Make Great Holiday Gifts

More of Us Are Reading Right Now

IN OUR FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING COLUMN, Susan Stitt explains why 2020 has been very busy despite the pandemic. Our books are our way of making the world a little better place. Susan Stitt looks at this year’s colorful array of books—which make perfect holiday gifts.

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Care to see all of our Holidays & Festivals columns? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the address InterfaithHolidays.com

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FAITH & FILM 

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Among Ed’s free reviews and columns:

1. MANK—Ed writes, “I love films about filmmaking, and David Fincher’s Mank, centering on Herman J. Mankiewicz the co-writer of Citizen Kane, is no exception. Based on a script by Jack Fincher, the director’s late father, the film has scintillating dialogue that is as delightful to the ear as the repartee in the madcap comedies popular during the period of the story, the mid 30s to 1940. And Erik Messerschmidt’s crisp B&W photography certainly evokes that bygone era.” As a added bonus, Ed also has published a column about Citizen Kane, which is central to the Mank movie.
2. MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM—Ed writes, “In this adaptation of an August Wilson play, Denzel Washington (who in 2016 directed and starred in Fences), remains behind the camera this time as executive producer. But, his Fences co-star Viola Davis is very much front and center as the title character, a real life Blues singer, one of the first Black women to cut a record in the early 20th Century. The film is also outstanding because not only does her co-star Chadwick Boseman rise to her superb level of performance, it will forever be known as his last screen appearance. Even setting aside the film’s social significance, this is a film not to be missed!”
3. THE LAST CHAMPION—Ed writes, “The Last Champion is truly a family film at both ends, from inception to viewing. Families will enjoy its coming of age aspect, sports thrills, and redemptive arc.“
4. NEWS OF THE WORLD—Ed writes, “Like Unforgiven, Paul Greengrass’ News of the World is an unconventional Western. Oh, there is are sections of violent gun play, but these are secondary to other themes, such as human relationships, the need for belonging, and the importance of “news” for connection to a world larger than our own narrow existence. Adapted by director and Luke Davies from the 2016 novel by Paulette Jiles, the film provides Tom Hanks with a great opportunity to display his acting ability, an opportunity of which he takes full advantage! It also introduces many of us to a delightful young German actress Helena Zengel.”
5. BEYOND THE WALL—“Directed by the late Jenny Phillips and telecast in 2018, this documentary was part of the PBS series America Reframed. This series of well over 100 independent films for several years invited us each week to look at many overlooked aspects of our nation. This episode from the series reveals many of the difficulties that confront newly released prisoners, especially those (a majority) wresting with drug addiction.”
6. THE MAN WITHOUT GRAVITY—”The Man Without Gravity is an Italian magical-realist tale from first-time narrative filmmaker Marco Bonfanti. In the film, he whimsically tells the story of Oscar (Elio Germano) from his incredible birth, through childhood, and ultimate reunion with his childhood sweetheart Agata. This delightful escapist film about an outsider has plenty of flaws but none that ought to spoil your enjoyment.”
7. THE CROODS: A NEW AGE—”Director Joel Crawford’s film, the second in the series about a Stone Age family, is an amusing tale of culture clash and the need for solidarity. Just as I loved the first film almost seven years ago, The Croods, I recommend this one too. It provides both escapist fare for the whole family and, like the first film, teaches some worthy life lessons.”
8. HILLBILLY ELEGY—“The film is flawed but not as badly as the critics would have us believe. If for no other reason, you should tune in to Netflix because of the Oscar talk that is already building up around Glenn Close’s portrayal of Vance’s stern but warm-hearted grandmother, whom everyone calls Mamaw.”
9. THE BREAD WINNER—”Irish director Nora Twomey, who co-directed the exquisitely beautiful The Secret of Kells, launches out on her own with the gorgeously animated film set in Kabul in 2001 on the cusp of America’s invasion in retaliation for the attack on the Twin Towers. With its theme of the Taliban’s oppression of women, the film will remind some of another similarly themed film, though set in Iran, Persepolis.”
10. FISHING WITH DYNAMITE—Ed writes, “In this documentary, director Paul Wagner clarifies for those of us who are economic dummies the murky subject of capitalism. His film explores the contentious history of American corporate culture. It explores the arguments of two influential theories—stakeholder vs shareholder capitalism. And it does so in an amusing and entertaining way.”

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