The World Is in Our Hands
‘Forgiveness is not only personally necessary; it’s a political necessity.’
IN THE PAST WEEK, readers have reminded us of words from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who is one of the world’s great sages on the subject of forgiveness after his central role in ending Apartheid and then modeling reconciliation not only for his nation—but also for the entire world.
“Until we can forgive the person who harmed us, that person will hold the keys to our happiness; that person will be our jailor. When we forgive, we take back control of our own fate and our feelings. We become our own liberators.” That’s one of the Tutu quotes readers are sharing with each other right now. Another is: “Forgiveness is not only personally necessary; it’s a political necessity.”
That’s the pragmatic reason Tutu’s wisdom is popping up in American social media right now. America desperately needs forgiveness on many levels. The other reason Tutu’s wisdom on forgiveness is resurfacing right now is that Christians—and the majority of Americans still identify as Christian—are starting the Lenten season, this week, which leads to Easter. Forgiveness always is a central theme in Lent, seeking forgiveness for ourselves—and seeking to forgive others. Of course, forgiveness also is a central requirement in all the world’s major religions. This year, Passover begins March 27 and the fasting month of Ramadan begins April 12. (Western Christians, including most Americans, begin Lent this week on Ash Wednesday. Eastern Christians begin their Great Lent season on March 15.)
In coming weeks, as you read our issues of ReadTheSpirit online magazine, you will find more columns and stories about forgiveness to inspire and spark your reflections. Let’s start with these stories:
‘A RESET OF RELATIONSHIPS’
LOVE, LOSS and ENDURANCE—We started 2021 by publishing Bill Tammeus’s Love, Loss and Endurance: A 9/11 Story of Resilience and Hope in an Age of Anxiety. If you missed it earlier, please read our cover story about Bill’s book—a very timely source of wisdom this winter. Bill’s entire, dramatic narrative is a journey to restore relationships in the wake of the horrific violence of 9/11. That’s an unfinished journey for all Americans, Bill argues—and it is a journey through which our faith calls and guides us. He writes, “Every major religion provides opportunities for reflection, admission of sins, forgiveness and a reset of relationships. But unless we somehow ritualize those opportunities, make them part of our liturgical year, we are likely to skip by chances to realign ourselves with generative values and to atone for ways we have failed.” And, that’s the core theme in this week’s ReadTheSpirit cover story, as well. Please, continue and you’ll see how the following columns form an inspiring circle.
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FROM ‘OUR LENT’ TO ‘FRIENDSHIP & FAITH’
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LIKE MOVING BOULDERS
BENJAMIN PRATT, the author of three of our books and many columns in this magazine, continues to draw readers to a story he published in 2014, headlined: Clearing boulders: In our culture, forgiveness is a surprise ending. This challenging column also adds a great recommendation for Lenten reading, Ben’s book, Ian Fleming’s Seven Deadlier Sins & 007’s Moral Compass. During this season of reflection, if you’re drawn to reflections on the world’s most difficult temptations, and especially if you’re intrigued by connections between faith and film, Ben’s Bond book is a great choice.
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‘WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT LETTING GO’
OUR AUTHORS POP UP EVERYWHERE! All of us connected with the publishing house take seriously the importance of adding spiritual wisdom to the national conversation. Here’s an example from author and hospice expert Rabbi Joseph Krakoff, who co-created the illustrated volume Never Long Enough. Recently, Krakoff contributed to a column by Susan Shapiro in The Daily News, headlined How to Forgive without an Apology—What I Learned about Letting Go. Rabbi Krakoff appears in the second of the seven tips that Shapiro shares with readers in this feature.
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FORGIVENESS AS A YEAR-LONG COMMITMENT
AUTHOR AND INTERFAITH PEACE ACTIVIST Victor Begg often appears in national newspapers and wire services. He wrote a column for TC Palm, a Florida-based part of the Gannett wire service, headlined, Amid COVID-19, reflect on 2020 to see what good we can do in our world in 2021 Victor is the author of Our Muslim Neighbors and, naturally, we will be including more of his writings in this magazine as the fasting month approaches this spring.
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AN ANTIDOTE TO FEAR AND HATRED—FOCUSING ON WONDERMENT AND HOPE
GOD SIGNS COLUMNIST SUZY FARBMAN never mentions the specific term “forgiveness” in her new column this week—but her story describes the most powerful way to break free of the tragic cycles of fear and hatred that seem to plague our world. As Suzy explains in this column, she focuses on finding the “wonderment and hope” in life. Her headline is, Writing a weekly column about inspiring people taps into joy. When we approach the new people we meet with Suzy’s attitude—we start by humbly appreciating their value, stories are shared and we allow meaningful relationships to form. When we establish relationships in that healthy, humble and generous way—to borrow Tutu’s phrase from the opening news item in this week’s issue: “We become our own liberators.” Readers who do follow up on our initial recommendation, this week, to read Bill Tammeus’ new book will discover that the final 16 pages of his book are packed with advice that in essence mirrors the approach to life that Suzy describes in her column, this week, including: “respect and love others … get outside your comfortable surroundings … spend time with others.” There is a deep harmony in these calls to help reconnect our broken world. So, with Suzy’s column, we have come full circle, this week.
Holidays & Festivals
WANT TO SEE ALL THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just visit InterfaithHolidays.com
Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras,
Ash Wednesday and Clean Monday
OUR HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS COLUMNIST Stephanie Fenton explains it all beginning with the celebrations early this week, leading up to Ash Wednesday on February 17 this year. She writes, “Whip up a batch of indulgent treats rich in eggs, sugar and cream, and let yourself indulge—it’s Fat Tuesday on February 16! On the following day, Christians will enter the repentant period of Lent, leading to Easter, beginning with Ash Wednesday.”
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Click on this photo from the movie “Sir” to read Ed McNulty’s review.
Faith & Film
Click on this image to learn more about the February 2021 issue of Ed McNulty’s Visual Parables Journal, which includes many complete discussion guides for movies. This issue includes guides to Land, One Night in Miami, The White Tiger, Soul, Nomadland—and more.
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:
- SIR—Ed writes, “You don’t have to be a romantic to love director-writer Rohena Gera’s gently paced story of love between an upper-class Indian man and a widowed servant. This French-Indian production is set mostly in a modern apartment in Mumbai, but the question it raises in its tag line, Is Love Enough, is universal.”
- FANNIE LOU HAMER on YOUTUBE—Ed headlines this column, 3 Books on Racism and a YouTube Video. This really is the story of Ed’s own recent reading and viewing (via YouTube) about the history of the civil rights movement and racism in America. As long-time readers know, Ed was personally involved in that movement many decades ago and had several experiences himself with civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer.
- PIECES OF A WOMAN—Ed writes, “Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó’s first English-language feature is for those who prefer a study of marital and in-law relationships to endless cycles of chases and things blowing up.”
- NOMADLAND—Ed give this 5 stars and writes, “Frances McDormand, optioning Jessica Bruder’s 2017 nonfiction book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century writer, made a wise choice when she joined forces with director/writer Chloé Zhao.”
- LAND—Five stars also go to this film. “Actress Robin Wright made a wise decision in choosing screenwriters Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam to write the script for her directorial debut. Her story of a grieving women seeking escape in the solitary wilderness of the mountains, only to discover the need for community is one of the best films I have seen for reigniting hope during this time of pandemic.”
- WHITE TIGER—”Writer-director Ramin Bahrani’s adaption of his long-time friend Aravind Adiga’s best-selling novel provides a sardonic view of the 1% as viewed by those at the bottom. It bears some similarities to the South Korean 2019 Oscar winner Parasite, except that it is set in India, where the ancient caste system still keeps the rich and the poor apart.”
- THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME—”There is a lot of religion in director Antonio Campos’s decades-spanning film, which he has adapted from Donald Ray Pollack’s 2011 novel, but far different from what you might find in your local church, synagogue, mosque, or temple.”
- REMASTERED: THE TWO KILLINGS OF SAM COOKE—”Director Kelly Duane’s documentary makes viewers appreciate legendary singer Sam Cooke even more, thanks to the many musicians and music industry people she interviews, interspersing them with archive photos and footage.”
SOUL—Ed urges everyone to see this delightful and surprising film. He writes, “For a family film Pixar’s Soul about a jazz pianist takes on hefty, metaphysical, themes—life and death, the appreciation of the former and one’s purpose in living.“- ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI—Ed also urges us to see this remarkable film, writing, “Actress Regina King’s first feature film is based on scriptwriter Kemp Powers’ 2013 play about the night when Cassius Clay won the World Heavy Weight Boxing title over Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964. I want to say up front that it is a “must see” film, bringing together a number of strands of the systemic racism that I have been urging readers to examine through various films.”
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