Your Reading Could Spark a Better World

IN THIS WEEK’S COVER STORY, we look at some of the many books we have published during the month of May over the past 15 years—inspiring books for late-spring and summer reading. What surprises us is that some of these books, published years ago, remain as relevant as today’s headline news. Take a look at this array of timely reading—and share this article with friends via social media or email. Who knows? You might spark a helpful discussion and make a positive difference in our world with this particular selection of books.

Coming to terms with our past

HARVARD IS NOT ALONE. Historians now report that Johns Hopkins University’s founder, Johns Hopkins, enslaved at least four people.

A reckoning with slavery and our Native American history

THIS YEAR, our nation’s leaders—from government to universities to religious groups—are continuing a historic reckoning of our collective history regarding slavery and Native Americans. (We touch on Native American issues in our Cover Story, above.) This week, we also noted some important news headlines about Harvard’s coming to terms with its slave-holding past. Among them:

The Washington Post: Harvard leaders and staff enslaved 79 people, university finds
The New York Times: Harvard Details Its Ties to Slavery and Its Plans for Redress

How are Musk, Putin and Aquinas connected?

Larry Buxton explains

IN HIS LEADING WITH SPIRIT video, this week, Larry Buxton explores the challenges of sole leadership—from the emergence of Elon Musk as sole owner of Twitter to the ongoing rampage of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. What biblical and spiritual wisdom can help us sort out helpful responses to these global challenges? This is a terrific, thought-provoking video to share with friends, this week. You might consider using it to start a discussion in your Sunday School class or small group.

The Power of Song

The tradition is true: Our spirits soar when we sing.

OUR READERS TELL US they like the way Lucille Sider’s columns focus on resilient living. Lucille is the author of Light Shines in the Darkness, and she has both professional credentials and life experiences behind the wise and hopeful stories she shares with us. This week, she writes about the power of song to lift our spirits and share hope with the world. You’ll definitely want to share this story (and accompanying video) with friends..

Holidays & Festivals

Are you ready for Mother’s Day?

STEPHANIE FENTON shares the fascinating history of Mother’s Day and, then, as she always does, she adds some helpful links to help you plan your observance of this important day. Don’t miss this column, this week—or the holiday on Sunday!

‘Eid Mubarak’ to Muslim friends

STEPHANIE FENTON writes about the worldwide celebration of the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Exact dates are likely to vary around the world depending on regional declarations about the lunar cycles that govern the Islamic calendar.

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

Click on this photo to read Ed McNulty’s review of The Northman.

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:

THE NORTHMAN—Ed McNulty raises troubling questions about this ultra-violent epic that other critics are praising. The film is relentlessly violent and celebrates a world in which bloody vengeance is the only currency that matters. He urges viewers to think carefully about whether we should be recommending The Northman to others at a time in our world when violence is unleashed again across eastern Europe. In contrast, Ed highly recommends that viewers spend time immersing themselves in the following …
SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE—Netflix now is streaming two dozen episodes of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 2015-19 TV series, Servant of the People. Ed McNulty writes about the “life-imitates-art” experience of watching this series in the midst of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. There are two parts: Here is Part 1: Ed’s commentary on the opening episodes. Then, here is Part 2: Ed’s follow up, focusing on later episodes.
COMPARTMENT 6—”Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen takes on the strangers on a train genre in this slow moving story about Finnish student Laura (Seidi Haarla) studying in Moscow sometime during a winter of late 80s or mid 90s.”
7 DAYS—Director Roshan Sethi is also the co-writer (with star Karan Soni) of this romantic tale of two Americans, Ravi (Karan Soni) and Rita (Geraldine Viswanathan), whose Indian parents want to set them up for an arranged marriage.
THE BATMAN—”Director Matt Reeves and co-writer (with Peter Craig) have given us an almost three hours long story so dark that film noir looks like screwball comedy by comparison.”
THE OUTFIT—”Set in the 1950s, director Graham Moore’s film is the story of Leonard, who has been opening up his modest shop in the same seedy side of Chicago ever since leaving London’s Saville Row after WWII.”
FLEE—”Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s triple Oscar contender about a war refugee is different from other documentaries in that it is 95% animated.”