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Join the national shouting match …
or these conversations …

AS AMERICA APPROACHES JULY 4, this year, the home office of our online magazine is awash in deeply felt emails from our readers and writers concerned about the future of our nation. Particularly, we are hearing deep concern about the revelations of extremist groups’ involvement in the “January 6” attacks. We’re hearing about new Supreme Court decisions limiting laws that control guns and slashing the government’s power to control pollution and slow climate change. Of course, the high court also threw our whole nation into years of bitter state-by-state legal disputes over abortion. “It feels like our experiment with democracy is falling apart—pitting Americans against one another in ways we haven’t seen since before the Civil War,” one reader wrote.

Well, we can’t resolve all of the issues raised over the last month in the pages of this online magazine. However, what we can do is underline our 2007 founding motto: “Good media builds healthy communities.” We are journalists—reporting true stories that remind us of our better angels.

TO MARK JULY 4, this year, we are publishing this special issue of Read The Spirit magazine, inviting you to step back with us to 2010 when we presented a 40-day, 9,000-mile exploration of America.

There are two ways to enjoy this adventure

START WITH OUR FIRST COLUMN from July 28, 2010, then simply keep using the “next post” links at the top right of each column to continue reading every story in the series. By the end of the adventure, you will have circled our nation, discovering inspiring true stories from families coast to coast. If you’ve got some “reading time” over this long weekend, this is a great opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the best of our nation.

OR, TO SEE JUST A HALF DOZEN HIGHLIGHTS from the 40-story series, here’s a recap we published that showcases some of the most popular columns in the entire 40-day adventure.

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Holidays & Festivals

Fourth of July

The crowds are back!

HOLIDAYS and FESTIVALS COLUMNIST Stephanie Fenton reports: “After two years of socially distanced Independence Day celebrations, festivities appear to be ramping up this year, with crowds expected to line streets for parades; the scent of barbecue drawing family and friends; and, finally, fireworks lighting up the night sky.” Read her entire column, which includes links to recipes, DIY holiday party tips and even some recommended movies.

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The Hajj

And speaking of crowds …

THE ANNUAL MUSLIM PILGRIMAGE is coming soon. Stephanie writes, “Arriving via every mode of transportation available and from countries that span the globe, this annual Islamic pilgrimage is widely considered the largest annual gathering in the world.”

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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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From Our Authors—

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John Harnish

An ‘Amazing’ E. Stanley Jones Podcast

THIS WEEK JAMES HOWELL features John Harnish on his Maybe I’m Amazed podcast to talk about the “amazing” career of E. Stanley Jones–an American Christian pioneer who journeyed to India a century ago and who recognized Gandhi as a kindred spirit. As Howell says in his introduction to this conversation: Whatever your faith background may be, learning about Jones’s life and message reminds us of the potential hope in our troubled world. If you are interested in reading Harnish’s book yourself, hop over to Amazon and get a copy of 30 Days with E. Stanley Jones.

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Larry Buxton

‘Happy 4th of July!’

AND IN KEEPING WITH OUR HOLIDAY THEME, Larry Buxton’s Leading with Spirit video this week is about his ancestor who was part of the American Revolution. “My having become an official son of the American Revolution, this year, helps me appreciate the courage of these barely known patriots,” Larry says. Then, he talks about another current “patriot” whose identity may surprise you. Please, click over to Larry’s short video and listen to what he has to say this week. You’ll be glad you did.

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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.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• ELVIS—Ed writes, “When I first learned that Baz Luhrmann would be directing the Elvis Presley biopic, I knew the film would be flamboyant—look what he did with Romeo and Juliette and Moulin Rouge.”
• UNAPOLOGETIC—”This documentary focusing upon two young Black activist women in Chicago is one of the many treasures to be found on the web page of PBS’s POV series.”
• LIGHTYEAR—“Our children’s favorite space man gets his own origin story,  helmed by Angus MacLane, a veteran Pixar director, animator and actor.”
• THE DUKE—“The late British veteran director Roger Michell makes the most of the script by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman, ‘based on a true story’ that took place in 1961. Jim Broadbent’s 60-year-old self-educated Kempton Bunton is one of those sign-caring protestors often seen in public parks and such.”
• JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION—“Although I agree with the observation of some critics that this film is like an amusement park thrill ride, both the title and remarks in the film by Ian Malcolm, the scientist who consistently plays the role of a Cassandra, bear out my observation that the film returns to its original role of a cautionary parable.”
• THE BOOK KEEPERS—“This documentary by a father and son team is a different kind of road trip film in that it deals with sorrow and healing that ends in a surprising way—not only to us viewers, but to the two book keepers as well.”
• ON GUN VIOLENCE—Ed also recommends viewing three films about gun violence in America. First, he reaches back and points out that the 1989 documentary Bowling for Columbine is as relevant today as it was when originally released. More recent is the documentary 91%, which features interviews with a wide cross section of Americans and makes the point that there is nearly unanimous consensus on the need for more effective background checks on gun buyers. Finally, he recommends Behind the Bullet, a documentary that explores the impact of guns from the perspective of people who have fired them.
• SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE—Netflix now is streaming two dozen episodes of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 2015-19 TV series, Servant of the People. Ed McNulty writes about the “life-imitates-art” experience of watching this series in the midst of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. There are two parts: Here is Part 1: Ed’s commentary on the opening episodes. Then, here is Part 2: Ed’s follow up, focusing on later episodes.

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