Weekly wrap
In the aftermath of a week of horrific killings, America is still reeling. This has given rise to my wonder about how America’s ideological, theological, and political upheaval may appear to the world. Here are 10 views that no doubt the world has witnessed. I hope they also inspire us to action.
1. Dallas' Returning Nightmare: A Sniper's Perch, an Unthinkable Crime
A summer photo intern at the Dallas Morning News, Ting Shen, captured his city's terror last night.
1. How the Orlando Attack Could Mark a Shift for Gay Muslims
“ … many gay Muslims in the United States have long felt doubly ostracized – both by the wider national culture and by their co-religionists. But in the days since the massacre of 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., there have been some signs of acceptance by Islamic organizations and religious institutions more often known for shying away from LGBT issues than for speaking forcefully in defense of gay people.”
2. What Happens After a Mass Shooting? Americans Buy More Guns
“Handgun sales are a good indication of how people feel about their personal safety, whereas long gun sales are more of an indication of fear of regulation."
1. Behind the Photos That Changed How America Saw Domestic Violence
How one photographer documented the epidemic of hidden abuse inside our nation’s homes.
2. How Lin-Manuel Miranda Could Transform the Supreme Court
“ … How judges imagine the original meaning of the Constitution depends on their intuitions—half historical, half mythical—about the Founding narrative. If you can change the myth, you can change the Constitution. Hamilton is changing the myth.”
3. McDonald’s Is the Glue That Hold Communities Together
No, really. “It is that way in many poor and middle-income neighborhoods, where McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers and reflections of the surrounding neighborhood.”
3. It’s Hard to Get Therapy if You’re Not White
A new study “suggests psychotherapists are more likely to offer appointments to middle-class white people than to middle-class African-Americans or to working-class people of any race.”
4. Evangelicals Must Not Bear the Mark of Trump
The day after Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said he would vote for Donald Trump, columnist Michael Gerson decries the seeming domino effect of conservatives — particularly the evangelical block.
1. Paid Leave Is Good for Babies, Women, Families, Businesses, and America. Here’s Why.
This Mother’s Day, how about skipping the flowers and giving new parents something they really need?
Russell Moore offers an important message in his New York Times op-ed: “If Jesus is alive — and I believe that he is — he will keep his promise and build his church. But he never promises to do that solely with white, suburban institutional evangelicalism. The question is whether evangelicals will be on the right side of Jesus.”
3. Toddlers Have Shot More People in the U.S. Than Muslim Terrorists Have This Year
Go home, America, you’re drunk. [For lots of reasons, if we’re being honest, but COME ON.]
“The modern homeschooling movement is one of revolt. ...For a small segment of parents and kids who opt out of traditional public schooling, something is changing: They are also opting out of religion.”
2. 3 False Assumptions About Muslims in the Age of ISIS
“Remember that ISIS wants Islamophobia.”
Fifty years ago, when Claire Wilson was eighteen, she was critically wounded during the 1966 University of Texas Tower shooting — the first massacre of its kind. How does the path of a bullet change a life?
1. Pope Celebrates Holy Week by Washing the Feet of Refugees
A lovely alternative to the hateful rhetoric currently being spewed in the U.S.
“As we stand this Holy Week, we pause to name the agonizing crucifixion and the promise of resurrection of Black women and girls worldwide. … We call forth healing. We call forth wholeness. We call forth rest.”
3. What Happened to the Jesus People?
Were they really swallowed by the conservatism of leading evangelicals and a fatal decline of Protestant liberalism?
1. How Kasich’s Religion Is Hurting Him with Conservatives
“The governor’s faith appears to drive his politically moderate stances on immigration, climate change and gay marriage—positions that alienate him from mainstream conservatives whose support Kasich needs to have a chance at the nomination.”
2. Hacker Group Anonymous Declares War on the Trump Campaign
Be on the lookout for said “total war” on April 1.
1. Michigan Officials Quietly Gave Bottled Water to State Employees Months Before Flint Residents
It keeps getting worse. “The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget decided to haul water coolers into the Flint state building in January of 2015 out of concern over the city’s water quality, a year before bottled water was being made available to residents.”
2. Becky Hammon Becomes First Female Named to NBA All-Star Coaching Staff
She already made history when she was appointed to the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff — and as the first female coach to lead a summer league to the championship. Now she can add All-Star coaching to her resume.
Curvy. Petite. Diverse. Mattel’s Barbie doll finally got a makeover aimed at making her a more realistic representation of women — and also recovering from plummeting sales of the iconic doll.
As the lead editor behind the dubious byline “the Web Editors,” it is within my job description to read all the Internet. And this is how the Weekly Wrap was born. This week, I decided to show all my biased cards and give you, fair reader, a glimpse behind how I decide what’s worth your spare few minutes on Fridays. As a religion writer and journalist, I give special attention to mainstream outlets that actually get faith right; I get sucked in by clickbait on the regular; I have a few favorite go-to publications (can you spot ‘em?); I link to a piece or two from our own publication that I think are excellent and perhaps underappreciated; I usually find at least one thing from my home state of Texas; and I cry ugly tears at most things having to do with babies. There are all my secrets. And here is the Weekly Wrap. —Sandi
This week's Wrap was guest curated by Sojourners contributor Adam Ericksen. Read along for his top stories and notes from the week!
There was a lot of negativity in the news this week, but mercy also filled the airwaves. In case you missed it, here’s a list of some merciful events from the week:
1. Pope Francis Opens the Door to ‘Year of Mercy’ in a Time of Fear
Sure, we have some differences, but we’re still crushing on the Pope. “To pass through the holy door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them.”
When unspeakable tragedies happen, our thoughts often turn to seeking justice for those harmed. What has become clear over the past week is that the definition of justice is not always universal. This week, I found myself reading a lot about how different communities relate to the concept of justice in the midst of trauma and systemic oppression.
Here are 10 pieces that got the wheels in my mind turning. I’m hopeful they will do the same for you!
“For seven years, we have been praying for ‘no KXL.’ They said it would take a miracle and a miracle is what God provided.” Things are looking up for creation care...
2. More Than Half of Entire Species of Saigas Gone in Mysterious Die-Off
…But sadly, not everything. Climate change and stormy spring weather may have transformed harmless bacteria carried by these antelopes into lethal pathogens — strong enough to possibly cause species extinction within one year.
3. Humans of New York and the Cavalier Consumption of Others
“Once an arrangement of events, real or invented, organized with the intent of placing a dagger — artistic, intellectual, moral — between the ribs of a listener or reader, a story has lately become a glossier, less thrilling thing: a burst of pathos, a revelation without a veil to pull away.”
This week's Wrap was guest curated by Sojourners contributor Tripp Hudgins. Read along for his top stories and notes from the week!
There’s a lot that could be said about this week and I’m genetically inclined to say All the Things, but that won’t do. I could talk about the Democratic primary debate, but there’s likely too much to sift through. Sojourners ran a story entitled, “Will Democrats Play the God Card at Their Debate?” It was a fun question and led to interesting results. But I don’t want to share a bunch of links about the debate.
Instead, I want to talk about music and technology and the fabric of society this week. So, put on your tin foil hats, spin your favorite disk, and let’s see what we can find out together.
1. The Ecology of Trauma: Resilience in a Post-9/11 Nation
"What within the fabric of our national identity has forever been changed? Have we responded in a way that moves us towards recovery and healing or further disrepair? Perhaps what is important here is not to attempt to answer these questions, but simply to consider them."
2. Forget The Redistribution Of Wealth: Let’s Redistribute Neighborhoods
"Growing up poor in the U.S. isn’t always a life sentence to poverty. But growing up poor in a very poor neighborhood is much closer to one."
3. Cult Week
A weeklong series of reported essays on belief, zeal, and creed, from Bikram yoga to frat life. “‘But’—you're asking—‘do I belong to a cult?’ To which American media says, probably, yes.”
1. Can the Evangelical Left Rise Again?
“The Evangelical left, once a substantial contingent of American life, is now seemingly small and powerless compared to its rightwing counterpart.”
2. Why Every Church Needs a Drag Queen
Nadia Bolz-Weber, everyone’s favorite tattoo-sporting, grace-spouting priest, is back with a new book, Accidental Saints.
3. One Novel Way to Bring Healthcare to Poor Neighborhoods
A local neighborhood health center believes it has developed an approach that works for their clients in poverty — partnering with a local grocery story to combine the shopping and medical experience into one outing.
1. The Coddling of the American Mind
"In the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don’t like. Here’s why that’s disastrous for education — and mental health."
2. The Late, Great Stephen Colbert
Ok, we know you didn’t miss this one. But Colbert’s peculiar, precious blend of whip-smart comedy, vulnerability, and candor on grief and faith — not to mention his endearing fondness for Tolkein references — makes this one for the ages.
3. A(nother) Real Scandal of Amazon’s Punishing Work Culture
"But it's important not to lose sight of a more urgent reality: As bad as white-collar workers may have it at Amazon and elsewhere, their blue-collar brethren have it much, much worse, and have much less power to negotiate better conditions."
1. This Is What It’s Like Being a Gay Christian Rock Star
A year after Christian singer Vicky Beeching announced she is gay, BuzzFeed followed up with the songstress on reactions from the Christian community and her life since. “At times it felt like there wasn’t much respect for me as a person. It was either ‘We’re going to grab her as a mascot’ or ‘We’re going to shoot her as an example of this evil.’ For many conservative Christians, I became a sign that people were slipping down a slippery slope into unimaginable sin. People forget there’s a person hiding under a duvet wondering if they’re going to have a life left.”
1. Read the First Chapter of Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Sequel
Happy Christmas in July! Read this excerpt of the much-anticipated Go Set a Watchman — due to be released on Tuesday. Or listen to the chapter, featuring narration by Reese Witherspoon, over at The Guardian.
2. Pope Apologizes for Catholic Church’s ‘Offenses’ Against Indigenous People
"I humbly ask forgiveness, not only for the offenses of the church herself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America."
3. When Algorithms Discriminate
So there’s this, from the Upshot: "Research from the University of Washington found that a Google Images search for ‘C.E.O.’ produced 11 percent women, even though 27 percent of United States chief executives are women. (On a recent search, the first picture of a woman to appear, on the second page, was the C.E.O. Barbie doll.)"