Father and Daughter Howard and Emily Brown Show Us How They’re Doing It This Year
IN THIS SPECIAL COVER STORY, we focus on one of the universal truths as families gather for year-end holidays: In addition to joyous celebrations, our gatherings surface hard stuff—from misunderstandings to feuds, from new disabilities to losses of those who once were part of our circles.
How can we talk about the truly tough stuff? In this cover story, we’ve got a remarkable model for such conversations from Shining Brightly author and columnist Howard Brown in Michigan and his daughter Emily, who now is a TV journalist based in Montana. Howard has decided to pause his very popular weekly podcast—also called Shining Brightly like his memoir—because he is in the midst of a life-and-death struggle with aggressive leukemia. This is the third time that this nationally known patient advocate has grappled with deadly long-odds cancer himself. At the moment, he is trying to hang on—living one day at a time in an isolated hospital room, hoping that his chemo is working and that a bone marrow transplant in early 2025 can save his life.
Before Howard took his break from producing his weekly podcast, he published a special episode that he and Emily have titled “Climbing the Mountain.” Since this podcast went public a few days ago, Howard has received messages from friends and colleagues nationwide asking if they can share this father-daughter conversation with others. “Of course you can share it anywhere you want,” Howard says from his hospital room. “That’s why we recorded this—in the hope that people who listen may find their story reflected in our story.”
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A Rare Convergence of Hanukkah and Christmas
HOW RARE IS IT?—Most years, Hanukkah “coverage” in our magazine comes well before our Christmas “coverage.” Because the Jewish lunar calendar drifts back and forth in comparison to our secular calendar, this year’s first night of Hanukkah at sundown on Christmas Day is exceedingly rare. In the past 100 years, this convergence has occurred only in 1959, 2005 and now in 2024.
This year, in so many ways, our world is markedly different than it was a year ago—so we will be devoting three weekly issues of our magazine to highlighting important, timely themes in both Christian and Jewish traditions. Stay tuned, because some of the stories coming your way are wonderfully moving!
You may find yourself wanting to quote from our stories, this month, or share the entire columns with friends via social media. We welcome such sharing, by the way, and publish under Creative Commons so that you can easily do so! If you are moved to help spread our stories, then we’ve done our job as a community of authors dedicated to bringing true “light”—honesty, compassion, clarity and resilience—into our world.
Here are the basics—
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.
ON DECEMBER 1, “Western Christians”—Catholics, Protestants and Anglicans—began their Advent season, often including the lighting of Advent wreaths.
Then, two special stories of unexpected interfaith sharing—
The wonders of the Honels’ Christmas tree.
MUSICIAN AND EDUCATOR ELAINE GREENBERG writes about how an unlikely childhood invitation to help decorate her neighbors’ Christmas tree led to a lifetime appreciation of religious diversity.
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How our Jewish friend showed my wife and I the perfect gift to avert a Christmas tragedy
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Holiday Gift Giving—
Robert Cornwall recommends Sanctuary
ARE YOU PART OF ONE OF THE THOUSANDS OF CONGREGATIONS nationwide working toward inclusion of LGBTQ friends in the coming new year? As a pastor who has led a congregation through this transition, author and columnist Robert Cornwell strongly recommends this new book to other Christians who share in a more welcoming New Year’s Resolution. He writes, in part: “A book like this can prove very helpful to congregations seeking to move toward a more open and inclusive position.” You can read Cornwell’s full review at his website, Ponderings on a Faith Journey.
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Got children on your list?
WHETHER SHOPPING FOR HANUKKAH OR CHRISTMAS, Editor David Crumm recommends that parents and grandparents discover the wonders of the late great Tove Jansson, whose Moomin stories have been re-envisioned as a series of gorgeous hardcover picture-books. In two Goodreads reviews, he explains how these stories were favorites in his own childhood—and can be delightful experiences with kids in families of any faith today, as well.
Review of Tove Jansson’s Who Will Comfort Toffle?
And, a review of Jansson’s The Book About Moomin, Mymble and Little My
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Whatever your holiday—
we’ve got a great book for that!
OUR FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING MARKETING GURU SUSAN STITT is also an expert gift consultant! Anyone who has known Susan over the years, knows she’s got an instinct for perfect pairings of loved ones with just the right present to give for … well, for whatever holiday you’re celebrating at the end of this year. Please enjoy her Front Edge Publishing column this week, packed with lots of options grouped by general themes. Thanks, Susan, for this wonderful one-stop shopping list!
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Visit us at Bluesky
Editor David Crumm and marketing guru Susan Stitt already are a part of the relatively new Bluesky social media app—and so are an ever-growing number of our writers. 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 Front Edge Publishing column, which explains what we’re doing on Bluesky—and provides easy links for you to come join us.
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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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