REDISCOVERING OUR HOPE AND COURAGE
COVER STORY—Thanks to two of our popular contributors: Benjamin Pratt and James Truxell!
Our top story this week is their reflection on the truly inscrutable evil we all witnessed in Las Vegas. Journalists from major U.S. newspapers have just published in-depth reports that find Stephen Paddock’s motivation a mystery. But, along the way, those journalists did spot some clues that prompted Pratt and Truxell to compare Paddock’s mindset to a character created nearly 60 years ago by author Ian Fleming.
Their provocative column today is no joke. It’s a serious look at how such mysterious evil can stun all of us into a kind of spiritual helplessness. And, in the end, these two writers conclude that there are some classic spiritual disciplines we can follow to reconnect with our wellsprings of hope, compassion and community. Please, enjoy this reflection by Pratt and Truxell, then share it and discuss it with friends.
.
.
AMERICA AT ITS BEST: CHAUTAUQUA
FeedTheSpirit—By coincidence, our columnist Bobbie Lewis and her husband returned recently from one of America’s most uplifting communities: Chautauqua. As Bobbie describes it: “Chautauqua is a combination of college campus, music festival, writers’ workshop, arts enclave and summer resort, with a little more than a hint of the religious movement that gave it its start 143 years ago.” Or, in other words, Bobbie writes: “summer camp for the adult brain.”
Like our team here at ReadTheSpirit, are you still shaken this week by the events we all witnessed in Las Vegas? Need some news from a completely different vision of what is possible in a community?
Please, read Bobbie’s inspiring description of Chautauqua (complete with a delicious recipe, as always). It’s not too early to think about planning your own cross-country trip for Chautauqua’s next season!
THE MEANING OF COMMUNITY
GodSigns—Want more inspiration this week? Columnist Suzy Farbman writes about the Bat Mitzvah of her granddaughter Alexis. This milestone of claiming one’s adult responsibility in the community is specifically Jewish, but this story about Alexis’s reflections on the occasion points to larger truths for all of us.
.
.
HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS
Want to see all the holidays?
www.InterfaithHolidays.org
SUKKOT, AND THEN … The Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot is ending this week, so you may still see Jewish families enjoying their foliage-topped outdoor shelters. But, then, Jewish communities celebrate the gift of the Torah! Stephanie Fenton reports on the holidays Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
.
DIWALI—In Indian homes around the world, the festival of lights is coming! You may find Indian friends and colleagues planning well in advance for this popular observance. In gratitude for the triumph of light over darkness, Diwali holds great significance for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs alike.
.
.
.
HISTORIC BAHA’I CELEBRATION
TWIN HOLY BIRTHDAYS—Five million Baha’is worldwide will celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of the “Twin Holy Birthdays” this year, as adherents of the faith rejoice in the birth anniversaries of the two figures most central to their faith: Baha’u’llah and the Bab. This year is the bicentennial of Baha’is most central figure—Baha’u’llah—and the Bab is being honored alongside him.
.
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 latest free movie reviews are:
- MARSHALL—This week, Ed McNulty writes: “Black history has been a gold mine for socially conscious filmmakers, providing great drama that also reminds us that the war for equality is far from over. Such is the excellent new film about Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.” (5 out of 5 stars)
- I’LL PUSH YOU—”It’s a stand up and cheer movie,” writes Ed McNulty, giving this documentary 5 out of 5 stars. It’s the remarkable story of one man pushing his friend’s wheelchair along 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James.
- MOTHER! Ed tells us that viewers will find “dramatic excess and a strong dose of surrealism” in this puzzling film starring Jennifer Lawrence. (4 stars)
- MENASHE—It’s an intriguing film about the relationship of an Orthodox Jewish father and his son as they try to navigate the pressures within their insular New York neighborhood. (5 stars)
- ALL SAINTS—Our faith-and-film writer Ed McNulty writes: “At last! Here is a faith-based film that seeks to entertain and inspire rather than convert its audience.” (5 out of 5 stars)
- MOKA—A suspenseful drama about a mother grieving the loss of her son. (5 stars)
- CITY OF GHOSTS—The search to see this film is worth it, Ed says, giving this documentary 5 stars. The film focuses on a group of citizen journalists trying to battle ISIS messages in the Middle East.
- WHOSE STREETS? Another documentary to put on your must-see list, says Ed, is this fascinating exploration of what unfolded in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. (5 stars)
.
.
.
.
.
