Cover Story: ‘Hopes and Fears,’ a Shared History of Summoning Spiritual Strength

‘The Hopes and Fears of All the Years …’

3 Writers Remind Us of 3 Turning Points—

1.) Duncan Newcomer: ‘Civil War Christmas’

LINCOLN SCHOLAR DUNCAN NEWCOMER reminds us that Christmas 2020 is not the first time Americans were deeply anxious about our collective future. In fact, in the midst of the darkest days of the Civil War, Lincoln himself told Congress that pushing on toward freedom was “the last best hope of earth.” Please, read Duncan’s column—and all of our columns this week—and share them with friends to strengthen and inspire their spirits in this darkest season of the year.

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2.) Benjamin Pratt: ‘Little Town of Bethlehem’

FOR 152 YEARS, Philips Brook’s “simple little carol” has been a Christian call to summon spiritual strength in the midst of ‘hopes and fears.’ In this Christmas letter to readers—called “Love Is a Verb”—our author Benjamin Pratt explains why this wisdom is such a central part of the Christian faith.

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3.) Bill Tammeus: 9/11 and ‘Faith that Keeps Me Going’

THE NEW YEAR 2021 is the 20th anniversary of one of the darkest hours in American history—the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. Early in the new year, popular journalist and author Bill Tammeus is launching his powerful memoir and reflection on the dangers of extremism: Love, Loss and Endurance. In this column, posted to Bill’s personal blog, he writes about his own search for “faith that keeps me going.”

And, stay tuned! A full cover story about this wise and inspiring book is coming to ReadTheSpirit in mid-January.

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Holidays & Festivals

Hanukkah

RUNS THROUGH DECEMBER 18—Many world holiday traditions are being severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, but Hanukkah may be an exception—after all, much of the rituals are performed at home! While most synagogues will not be open for in-person services, families can still gather around a menorah, fry latkes in the kitchen and play a festive game of dreidel. Stephanie Fenton has the story.

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Yule, Solstice

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21—Since ancient times, the solstices have been marked as auspicious turning points in the calendar. For our Northern readers, this is the winter solstice! Often termed Yuletide or Yulefest, the days surrounding winter solstice have long been marked with cold-weather festivals and warm feasts. Stephanie Fenton has the story—including links to great recipes and other festive ideas.

 

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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SPECIAL HOLIDAY OFFER! To celebrate a decade of Ed McNulty’s involvement with ReadTheSpirit magazine, we are offering a half-price annual subscription to Ed’s premium content, his Visual Parables Journal. These monthly PDF-format magazines are packed with complete discussion guides for lots of films, both current and classic. It’s great for individual reflection and small-group discussion. Clicking on this image takes you to the Visual Parables Journal page where you can scroll down to the red-colored section and learn more about this special offer, now through December 31.

FAITH & FILM 

Click on this image to learn more about the December 2020 issue of Visual Parables Journal.

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. THE LAST CHAPION—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.
  2. BEYOND THE WALL—Ed writes, “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.”
  3. 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.”
  4. 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.”
  5. 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.”
  6. 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.”
  7. 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.”
  8. THE 12th MANNorway, 1943: After a failed anti-Nazi sabotage mission leaves his eleven comrades dead, Norwegian resistance fighter Jan Baalsrud (Thomas Gullestad) finds himself on the run from the Gestapo through the snowbound Arctic reaches of Scandinavia.
  9. THE LIFE AHEAD—”Even were it only half as good, this remake of the Romain Gary novel that became the Oscar-winning 1977 French drama, Madame Rosa, would be noteworthy because of its star and director: Sophie Loren and her son Edoardo Ponti.”
  10. FUNANCambodia, April 1975. Chou is a young woman whose everyday world is suddenly upended by the arrival of the Khmer Rouge regime. During the chaos of the forced exile from their home, Chou and her husband are separated from their 4-year-old son, who has been sent to an unknown location.

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