Weekly wrap
I think we usually ask these questions in a penitential key: “Where was God during this tragedy?” Being a human is difficult — so difficult that it is not only hard to imagine someone created us, but also that there exists anything outside of the mess we’ve created. We often collapse in on each other — whether by accident or on purpose.
The Wonder Bread balloon and several other hot air balloons raising up into a cloudy morning sky at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico on October 8, 2014. Tami Freed / Shutterstock.com
Lately I’ve spent a lot of time appreciating unfancy things: Stretchy pants. Popcorn. Picnics. Walks. Very Important Work Calls instantly derailed by a pet cameo.
Allow us to steal a few minutes of your attention for stories that will steal your heart.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) celebrates with Jae Crowder (99) as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on in the first half during game five in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mark J. Rebilas/ USA TODAY Sports. Via Reuters.
More than usual this past week, I've needed small reminders about the possibility of justice. Why? Well, this week is the week of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Professional tennis player Naomi Osaka in action during her 2018 US Open semi-final match at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on September 6, 2018. Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.
I am no stranger to the ways that sports is often derided in faith and justice circles. But I contend that sports and competition offer valuable insights into what it means to be human.
Photo by Ana Flasker
If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience an Ethiopian meal, you are missing out. I have Ethiopian family members, so I frequently get to enjoy this cuisine. A regular meal for us could be something like doro wat, gomen, atkilt wat, and mesir wat. No meal is complete without a boona, or coffee, chaser. But as incredible as it is, coffee is not the defining trademark of Ethiopian cuisine. That distinction belongs solely to injera.
Pro-Trump protesters storm into the U.S. Capitol during clashes with police. January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo
An attempted coup, theological reflections, and how the internet's algorithms help radicalize young Americans.
While Oregon wildfires consumed nearly a million acres in just 72 hours, domestic and international powers looked for ways to alter the results of the upcoming election. But somehow, joy has also continued, mainly because it must.
Religious freedom, the Black freedom struggle, Mike Pence’s anti-abortion message, and more.
America’s addiction to whiteness, John Lewis, Trump’s election rhetoric, and more.
The death of a civil rights icon, people-pleasing during a pandemic, the impact of recent Supreme Court rulings, and more.
Parenting in a pandemic, Islam's anti-racist message, the price of white evangeical patriarchy, and more.
Dominican nuns fighting climate change, Frederick Douglass on monuments, voting rights, and more.
The second Great Depression, how to be alone, the resistance of the black church, and more.
The politics in ‘Mrs. America,’ evangelicals in Brazil, and finding joy right now.
Learning from Octavia Butler, pandemic changes for seminary students, mystery at Oxford, and more.
Mother’s Day grief, spiritual care on the front lines, essential workers, and more.