‘I simply trust God to set things right.’

IN OUR COVER STORY, this week, author Carol Trembath tells us how she was so inspired by the life of Harriet Tubman that she wound up researching and writing a biographical novel about Tubman. Did you know that March 10, each year, is Harriet Tubman Day? Please, enjoy our cover story by Carol this week. You’ll also want to explore the links to other resources that Carol shares with us. Then, tell friends about this story via email and social media.

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More Holidays and Festivals

Purim: From fasting to festivities

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS COLUMNIST Stephanie Fenton reports on preparations for the Jewish festival of Purim, which unfolds on March 16, this year.

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St. Patrick’s Day: Do you know the ‘breastplate’?

FAMILIES WITH IRISH ROOTS, wherever they may live around the world, will be celebrating St. Patrick soon along with others who also revere this saint’s legacy. Part of that legacy is a prayer known as the Breastplate. Stephanie Fenton’s column includes links to several versions of that popular prayer.

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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 Bill Tammeus:
Understanding religion’s role in Russia and Ukraine

MANY OF OUR READERS have asked us to guide them to good journalism about the role of religion in the Russian attack on Ukraine. That is, indeed, a complex story and one of the best analyses we’ve found is by veteran journalist and author Bill Tammeus. In his Russia-Ukraine column—headlined: What does religion have to do with the Russia-Ukraine crisis?—Bill explains the basic issues, then also includes a dozen other links to online resources if you care to dig deeper. You can thank Bill for this excellent work by ordering a copy of his book about “unplugging extremism,” titled Love, Loss and Endurance. 

But, wait! There’s more! If you appreciate Bill’s column on Russia-Ukraine, you’ll also want to read another recent column, headlined: Why we still must know and care about Afghanistan.

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From Front Edge Publishing:
How E. Stanley Jones Inspires Global Peacemaking

“Our books make the world a better place.” That’s the opening line of this week’s Front Edge Publishing column, which features a video in which Editor David Crumm talks with author John E. Harnish about his new book, 30 Days with E. Stanley Jones.

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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:

• BREAKING BREAD—Central to documentarian Beth Elise Hawk‘s film is Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel—the first Muslim Arab to win Israel’s MasterChef on the TV show MasterChef Israel. That particular competition took place five years ago, but in 2022 Dr. Isameel is finding his ongoing work covered in such major American media as The New York Times. In fact, Ed’s main criticism of the movie is that he wishes it was longer to showcase more of the festival!
• CYRANO—Ed urges us not to miss the new version of the Cyrano story, starring Peter Dinklage. He also likes the musical additions. “The film’s songs do not pop out and burn themselves into your memory, but thy do add poetry to the play and enhance greatly the drama,” he writes.
• THE STATION AGENT—Seeing Dinklage in Cyrano, inspires Ed to reach back and republish his review of the quirky 2003 film, The Station Agent. If you enjoy stories about “outsiders” learning to connect with others, then you’ll love this film, Ed writes.
• LINCOLN’S DILEMMA—Ed praises the new four-part series about Lincoln and Frederick Douglas that just debuted on Apple TV+
• SUNDOWN—Mexico’s Michel Franco’s new film challenges viewers to figure out their feelings toward its troubled main characters.
• BINTI—Ed McNulty writes, “Tanzanian director and writer Seko Shamte, with fellow writer Angela Ruhinda, decries the plight of four women whose stories are loosely connected by their gender that leaves them almost powerless in a male-dominated society. The title means ‘young woman’ in Swahili.”
• LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM—”The setting of this film is indeed exotic, but the theme of welcoming friendship and the transforming power of love and respect is universal.”
• CASABLANCA—This is the 80th anniversary of the movie classic, so Ed reached back into his own archives and has posted this thoughtful column about the movie.
• THE LAST DUEL—”Director Ridley Scott may have entered his 8th decade, but this film, his best period piece since Gladiator, shows that he has not slowed down artistically. And the screenplay is the result of stars Mat Damon and Ben Affleck (remember Good Will Hunting?) reuniting as writers”
• MY BEST FRIEND ANNE FRANK—”Based on the book Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend by Alison Leslie Gold, the film tells the story of the friendship between Anne and Hanneli Goslar from 1942 to 1945.”

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