Harold was a Bridge Builder who Devoted Himself to Teaching Civility
THIS WEEK’S COVER STORY begins this way—NOVEMBER 2024—To Dr. Harold Heie, our friend: This is a heart-felt salute to your remarkable life. We’ve lost you just when your gifts are needed so urgently in the deeply divided America that we know you loved so much. Please enjoy our memories of Dr. Harold Heie’s timely wisdom about constructive conversations—and share it with friends this week via social media. Although he has died, Dr. Heie’s work lives on through his books, which we highlight in this column.
Are you inspired, right now, to take a positive step toward greater civility? Get a copy of Dr. Heie’s book, Reforming American Politics—and you’ll also be helping his wisdom to live on.
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And a Bridge Builder Who Continues to Promote Civility Every Day—
AUTHOR and JOURNALIST JEFFREY MUNROE lives out values very similar to those that Dr. Harold Heie taught—through the pages of the online Reformed Journal magazine and through a series of books Jeff and his team are publishing under their Reformed Journal Books banner. In this timely column in Reformed Journal, Jeff reassures us that we can continue to build healthy communities if we work together. The column makes Jeff’s case for continuing to support his team’s ongoing work in publishing—so we encourage all of our readers to consider his wise words this week. He headlines this column aptly: You are not alone!
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Celebrating three messengers of hope
GodSigns columnist Suzy Farman writes about three friends—all connected in a circle of hope that includes the wedding in this photo.
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What a ‘Grand’ idea for a New Year’s Resolution!
AUTHOR RUSTY ROSMAN has been helping families nationwide with her new book, Two Envelopes. So, we know her book is a terrific New Year’s Resolution for people you love who would like to let their families know what they want to unfold after they die. We know! That sounds somber, but just read this new article about Rusty’s work—as featured in Grand magazine—and you’ll understand how helpful this can be.
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Roll up your sleeves and visit us at Bluesky
Editor David Crumm and marketing guru Susan Stitt already are a part of the relatively new Bluesky social media app. We look forward to seeing what you can add to this new online hub to make it feel more like a welcoming community. So, please read this week’s Front Edge Publishing column, which explains what we’re doing on Bluesky—and provides easy links for you to come join us.
Two fresh perspectives on the future of Bluesky
THE GLOBAL JURY IS STILL “OUT” on the future of Bluesky (and the earlier Threads, for that matter). Here are two recent perspectives that may help you make your own choices about Bluesky:
Washington Post, headlined “X is Elon’s world. Threads is a mess. Is Bluesky any better? The virtual town square, once framed by Twitter, is now fragmented as people flee to bluer pastures.”
New York Times, headlined “Bluesky, Smiling at Me—Bluesky has a hint of the old Twitter magic, but the feeling of freedom it offers might be even better.”
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Holidays & Festivals
All Christians now are preparing for Christmas
BACK ON NOVEMBER 15 was the start of the 40-day Orthodox Nativity Fast—an ancient tradition in Eastern Orthodox churches as their millions of members prepare for Jesus’s birth in December.
NOW, ON DECEMBER 1, “Western Christians”—Catholics, Protestants and Anglicans—began their Advent season, often including the lighting of Advent wreaths.
THEN, THIS WEEK ON DECEMBER 6: Millions of Christians, especially many families in Europe, celebrate St. Nicholas Day—recalling the compassionate bishop who modeled the generosity of our contemporary Santa Claus.
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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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Faith & Film
Click on the movie poster to read Ed McNulty’s review of The Man who Invented Christmas.
Ed McNulty’s Favorite Christmas Films
ED McNULTY, for decades, published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film.
Here are some of his recommended Christmas movies that you might have overlooked:
- THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS (2017)—The film captures well what Dickens meant when he wrote, “Christmas is about hope that, in the end, our better natures will prevail.”
- THE HOLDOVERS (2023)—If you missed it a year ago, this 5-star movie is easy to stream this December.
- JOYEUX NOEL (2005)—Ed especially enjoyed this dramatized version of the famous World War I Christmas Truce of 1914.
- LOVE ACTUALLY (2003)—He also was a strong supporter of the now classic, British holiday ensemble.
- ELF (2003)—And, like most of us, he always loved and recommended Elf.
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Remembering Our Friend’s Prophetic Voice
ED McNULTY (1936-1924) was nationally known as a pioneer in film criticism with his prophetic style of “Faith and Film” reviews. To read more about his life—we know you will enjoy this obituary and remembrance of his remarkable life.
Much like Roger Ebert’s wife Chaz and their friends have continued to maintain his online database of film reviews—ReadTheSpirit.com magazine has decided to maintain Ed’s substantial body of work, including these 100s of his faith-and film reviews. In today’s world of streaming, viewers may choose to enjoy these films anytime. In addition, we will continue to highlight faith-and-film themes that Ed enjoyed.
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