Explore the Spirit

555: Twenty years ago, The Wall fell and our world changed ... but what now?

2009-11-09T00:11:00-05:00

Most Americans over 40 grew up thinking that half of the Earth looked like these two photos at the top of our story: black and white. Nations were either "Free" or "Communist," words that meant "Good" or "Evil" to millions of families after World War II.
    The top photo shows a woman daring to wave across the Berlin Wall. The second grainy photo shows workers building the Berlin Wall in the 1960s.
    THIS IS A WEEK with an amazing convergence of anniversaries and holidays:
    TODAY: It's been 20 years since the Wall fell. (The crumbling took longer than a day, but Nov. 9, 1989, was the day when hammers swung with abandon.) Please, EXPRESS YOURSELF on this theme today—OurValues.org is open and waiting for your comments on The Wall!
    TUESDAY: It's the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, which taught millions of American kids new lessons about global diversity. (We've got an entire Sesame Street story aimed at youth groups in Bible Here and Now. Plus, Stephanie Fenton's Spiritual Season column offers even more cool Sesame links.)
    WEDNESDAY: It's Veterans Day—with so much emotion this year after the tragic news of the past week. (Tuesday, we'll report on a wonderful antidote—coming from PBS—to the sadness we're feeling. Wednesday, meet a Quaker writer with an inspiring message about living in troubling times. And, Thursday, we'll have news about a second documentary on veterans' issues.

TODAY, we want to celebrate the "Triumph of Spirit" that always is possible in human relations—and that erupted across eastern Europe so unexpectedly 20 years ago!
I can't think of a better way to celebrate than to publish excerpts from a nationally award-winning news series I reported from eastern Europe in the spring of 1990. Knight-Ridder newspapers sent me to Europe to explore the crucial role religious groups were playing in touching off peaceful revolutions. When I landed in Romania, for example, the revolution was so recent that there weren't even any customs officials at the airport! I simply walked into the country in the midst of change.
I traveled widely for many weeks, then returned home and wrote a series of reports bearing news that had been almost completely overlooked in American news media—pointing out that people of faith were at the core of nearly every peaceful revolution. Yes, Americans knew that Pope John Paul II had been active in Poland—but our week-long series of stories from eastern Europe showed Americans how religious leaders were active everywhere across the Communist world.

The front-page series debuted with a dramatic scene from Romania ...

BUCHAREST—In Romania, the communist dictator seemed invincible as he marched across the countryside demolishing whole villages to make way for his new industrial centers‚that is, until he stubbed his toe on a preacher who dared to preach against such policies.
    Nicolae Ceausescu fell so fast and so hard, the crash was heard round the world.
    On Dec. 15, 1989, Ceausescu's security police tried to arrest the Rev. Laszlo Tokes in Timisoara, a city 250 miles from Ceausescu's capital in Bucharest. They wanted to exile him to a remote Romanian village.
    Unexpectedly, though, Tokes' congregation massed in the streets and opposed the police. Within 10 days, nearly all of Timisoara joined them; Bucharest joined Timisoara; and the dictator's own army officers joined the people. On Christmas Eve, 1989, Ceausescu found himself in a hastily organized trial pitifully whining that the revolution was a plot by foreign agents—one day before pictures of his execution were broadcast on national television.
    Foreign agents almost certainly did not cause the fall of Ceausescu or communist governments in Czechoslovakia, East Germany or Poland. Most foreign governments were as surprised as the communist regimes that fell.
    In a triumph of spirit that stunned the world, millions of common people pulled down the pillars of those communist systems, sagging after decades of dry rot. The nature of that spirit varied as widely as the courses of their revolutions, but at critical points the catalysts were Christian leaders whose churches were lean and surprisingly muscular after years of persecution. The news reports from eastern Europe in late 1989 were almost exclusively of the political and social side of communism's historic fall, and often overlooked were these roles churches played.

I traveled across Transylvania to find Tokes and report his story ...

    Churches managed to survive four decades of communist attempts to suppress them, "generally because they preserved eternal values—moral values that our societies now need very much for the future, " Tokes said earlier this month. He was pausing briefly in the midst of several international speaking tours at his new office in Orodea, about 100 miles north of Timisoara, where he was recently elected a bishop in the Reformed Church.
    "Through these years, the churches' strength was that they remained the only organized alternatives left for people to the totalitarian governments, " Tokes said. And as revolutionary spirits rose, churches—in some cases almost by default—became agents of change.
    Now, in the vacuum left by the communists' rapid retreat, there is a wild flowering of religion in forms no one would have dreamed a year ago.

I traveled farther, documenting stories in countries where few American journalists had explored religious activism ...

    In Czechoslovakia, religion and politics are almost inseparable—partly because President Vaclav Havel publicly describes the years of communism more as a spiritual disease than a political problem.
    Havel's most effective campaign poster was a spiritual slogan. A large photograph of the playwright-turned-politician in a casual black sweater with one outstretched hand was taped to hundreds of windows, doors and walls in Prague. The caption read: "Truth and love must conquer lies and hate."
    On New Year's Day, Havel announced his three major "foreign relations" initiatives for 1990: Establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and hosting public visits by the Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama of Tibet, and by the pope. By the end of a recent two-day papal tour, Havel had accomplished all three.
    ...
    As a maelstrom of discontent began to build in East Germany against oppression, a deteriorating standard of living and pollution, the Lutheran churches in the country became the vortex.
    Lothar de Maiziere, the new head of the East German government, was also the vice president of his nation's federation of Protestant churches until February.
    And in a poignant example of Christian forgiveness, the ailing former East German communist leader Erich Honecker had to seek asylum from angry citizens by moving into a spare bedroom in the home of a Lutheran pastor who once had been persecuted by Honecker's administration.
    ...
    In Czechoslovakia, the vibrant soul of the revolution can be seen in people like Otmar Oliva, a prominent young sculptor and Christian mystic who was imprisoned from 1981-82 for duplicating copies of human rights publications.
    While Oliva was in prison, friends moved his studio to a sprawling house and garage near the basilica of Velehrad. (photo at right) The church is a shrine to Saints Cyril and Methodius, 9th Century missionaries who are famous throughout Eastern Europe for spreading Christianity in the common Slavic tongue.
    Oliva, now 38, describes the shrine as "a most holy place" and as "the center of the world" because it was there that the missionaries' Eastern brand of Christianity met Western strains of the faith spreading from Germany.
    The shrine became a lightning rod for dissidents after an illegal 1985 religious rally there shocked the government by drawing a crowd of 150,000. Since then, most of the revolutionary leaders have been guests at Oliva's home, sometimes camping in tents beneath fruit trees that dot the hill behind it.
    When he visited the country, the pope celebrated an open-air mass at Velehrad and received a church bell commemorating Cyril and Methodius, sculpted by Oliva.
    After hearing dozens of religious dissidents, including Oliva, tell their stories, the reports tend to merge into one: The persecution often began with educational and professional threats, then denials of promotions, followed by demotions and dismissals. A telephone call or the daily mail might deliver anonymous threats of violence.
    Occasionally, after even a short trip away from home, the police broke in and searched through intimate possessions, clothing and letters. Police often hid microphones, then later would ask questions about intimate conversations they had recorded. Friends would be told slanderous rumors by police informants. Formal charges and prison might follow. Heavy labor in a factory or poverty were among the alternatives.

    One evening last year in Romania, Laszlo Tokes, his wife and two guests in their home were threatened by four masked intruders with knives who fought with the pastor and cut his forehead. Tokes believes the attack was launched by the police.
    Some dissidents did die; and in Romania hundreds of citizens were killed when countless thousands finally took to the streets in December to face tanks and automatic assault rifles with their bare hands.
    The dead are memorialized in dozens of tiny handmade shrines—with crosses, photos, faded flowers and candles—set up along Wenceslas Square in Prague, the main streets in Timisoara and Bucharest, and near what is left of the Berlin Wall.
    The life of a dissident was dangerous and painful. However, in the overwhelming number of cases, it was bearable, dissidents learned.
    Over the last several years, that knowledge became their power.
    "My life before the revolution had become . . . " Oliva begins, then searches his memories until he chooses the unexpected word: "comfortable. "I mean I had adjusted to it and it made me stronger. It sounds paradoxical but, under the oppression, we felt that everyday improved our spiritual life. I think it might be even a bit boring now that we are free."
    Another leader of the Czechoslovak revolution, the Rev. Vaclav Maly, a Catholic priest, still lives in the tiny apartment with a broken place in the ceiling light fixture where the police once hid a microphone. He was jailed for most of 1979 with other dissidents; after that, he was regularly and brutally interrogated.
    Despite it all, said Maly, "The communists helped us. They stripped our faith of all the superfluous things. They took away church property. Only someone willing to make a personal sacrifice could make a confession of faith. Young people entered the church because they understood this sacrifice."

    In one of the climactic rallies in late November that helped push the revolution to victory, Maly and other dissidents addressed a crowd of 500,000 gathered along the Letna Plain, a huge riverfront park on the northern edge of downtown Prague.
    At one point, a young police officer unexpectedly appeared at the podium and admitted that he had been among the police who had beaten a group of student protesters earlier that month. He begged for forgiveness.
    Maly then talked about the need for forgiveness, asked the crowd to forgive the officer, then led his huge audience in reciting the Lord's Prayer.

    Rita Klimova, a Jewish dissident who became the Czechoslovak ambassador to the United States in February, agrees that oppression actually has helped the Catholic Church flourish. "It took the communists to make the citizens of Prague kneel on the pavement for the Catholic Church."

This first major news report on religious activism in the eastern European revolutions also raised a question for American religious leaders ...
"What now?"

    U.S. church leaders in sermons and articles have confessed that these changes across eastern Europe seem incredible to them. Their churches struggle constantly to seem relevant to young people—often with limited success.
    It is nearly an axiom that American religious leaders who have a strong sense of social justice seem perennially disappointed with the lethargy they see in their denominations.
    Religion in Eastern Europe today seems to them to be the other side of the cosmos.

PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

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554: Readers debate the Brothers Coen and stick up for Nellie Bly's reputation!

2009-11-08T16:20:00-05:00

WELCOME! Once again, thanks to readers like you, we've got your feedback to share ...

Nellie Bly's Reputation Is at Stake ...
Tell a Friend to Enjoy Her Story

THANK YOU, readers, for helping to spread the word that Nellie Bly is not a serial killer! We're partly poking good-spirited fun at National Public Radio for mistakenly listing her as a homicidal maniac earlier this week. And we're partly dead serious in asking you to help us celebrate her memory.
    Remember that more than 100,000 journalists have lost their jobs since the crash in print media began, so we need to celebrate all the heroic examples of what journalists can accomplish. Nellie was a barrier buster for women in particular—and broke barriers for all of American news media. Read exciting excerpts from her round-the-world journey 120 years ago!
    We heard from readers at our Home Office on Wednesday wanting to pass word to friends about the Nellie story. To help you do that easily, we've created a "tiny URL" that you can cut and paste into an Email to a friend.
    No kidding. Give it a shot. Email this Web address:
    http://bit.ly/4pqmXv
    It'll give your friends a smile to celebrate the REAL Nellie.

Readers Hotly Debate the Brothers Coen:
Are They Terrific Storytellers ...
Or Rascals Ripping Off Moviegoers?

DID WE EVER HEAR FROM READERS about the Brothers Coen!

    The first reader Email of substance came all the way from Australia! Writer Paul Wallis, a ReadTheSpirit reader, chimed in defending the Brothers Coen. Here's Paul's Web page listing some of his own book titles and you'll note he's the author of "Men Behaving Boldly," so that's an indication of Paul's expansive creative spirit. Paul wrote to us ...
    I write as one who is not offended by the movies of the Coen brothers. Indeed I applaud them. Few independent directors have an industry-sized public hanging out for their next movie. The Coen brothers do. Their range of genres is unusual as is, refreshingly, the constant background of a moral message. ...
    One example is ... O Brother Where Art Thou, where the plot follows three escaped convicts in an Homeric odyssey. Along the way one believes he has found the joy of forgiveness from God through undergoing Christian baptism. Perhaps a believer might be embarrassed that it’s the “dumb one” who rejoices in this new found faith. However, his “clever” counterpart quickly reverses his own atheism when cataclysm strikes. Their miraculous deliverance vindicates the faith of the “dumb one.” Yet after their deliverance the “clever one” refuses to acknowledge the divine answer to his prayer. Is that not simply true to life?
    More profoundly the film forbids the viewer to reject the faith-view of the “dumb one” because this movie uncovers another layer in that our “heroes” are being pursued by the Devil. Initially the viewer may laugh the idea off since it’s another “simple soul” who has identified this “Devil.” Yet it quickly becomes clear that the Devil truly is present in the story—nicely portrayed as “The Law”—a malevolent cop-cum-vigilante intent on our friends’ destruction. Day or night, he appears in his every scene sporting dark glasses, the lenses always dancing with the reflection of flames. ...
    Although in interviews, the Coen brothers are coy and opaque about their intended messages, those messages are there for the taking in films like: The Hudsucker Proxy, Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Burn after Reading, No Country for Old Men.
    As a Christian believer, I find the Coens’ work in no way offensive to my faith. I applaud their production of films with thoughtful and moral messages; films which entertain evince great performances from some fine actors and remain at the cutting edge of American film-making. So I say more power to their arm and God Bless them!

    The Brothers Coen seem to be popular with writers! As Editor of ReadTheSpirit, I chimed in on Monday and again on Tuesday with favorable interpretations. And Chicago Sun Times columnist Cathleen Falsani stopped by on Wednesday to talk about her new book celebrating the Coens.
    In an Email, Graphic novelist Robert Luedke of HeadPress Publishing echoed those themes:
    Now this is a topic close to my heart! I am a huge fan of the Coen brother's films not just for their always high level of entertainment, but their rare mix of irreverence, poignancy and yes...sometimes even spiritual truths.
    They are the master of taking a life lesson and camouflaging them within spectacularly unforgettable dialog—probably some of the most quoted outside of Monty Python—hilarity or extreme violence. Their movies beg to be watched again and again, because there are usually multiple layers of wonderful dialog or narrative direction that is missed in the initial viewing. On top of that they go to great lengths to give each and every film its own unique treatment down to the settings, time periods and even shared regional dialects of the characters.
    While many renowned filmmakers seem to develop a winning formula or look, and stick to it, each and every Coen brothers film has a look and feel all it's own. Outside of Martin Scorsese, the Coen brothers are the only filmmakers I will go to see no matter what the reviewers will say about their films. I've learned to trust that they'll always entertain and challenge me with their stories.

    BUT, WAIT! That's not all! There were strongly dissenting views, most articulately outlined by church consultant the Rev. Dr. Al Bamsey, who accused the Brothers Coen of sinking to the level of rascals who "ripped us off" with their new movie, "A Serious Man." And did so—"Royally!"
    Al argued that this is a troubling time with far too much news, already, about "real, callous shortsightedness and chicanery shown by our financial wizards on Wall Street." We don't need to pay for movies that show us only more of this unrelenting bad news. In a movie like "Serious Man," which purports to deliver the news about the fate of an American "Everyman," Al pleaded: Enough's enough with the relentless punishment of this guy! Here's more of what Al wrote:
    Give me some glimmer of hope, of meaning. Just a tiny thread will do.
    I don’t know quite why I felt so betrayed by the Coens. My basic response was: There have been dozens of disaster movies made every year for the last few years. Why did we need another? I think I unconsciously hoped that the dismal dismantling of an ordinary man’s life that takes place on the screen in this movie would somehow leave us with a hint of rehabilitation, or redemption, or at least the possibility that the futility depicted would somehow be countermanded in some startling way. At any rate I left the movie feeling that a great visual film, in the end, was a cynical pile of ashes.
    This version of the Coens' world—if this movie portrays it as they see it—is the story of basically good but stupid people who wittingly and unwittingly fall into troubles that only get compounded as they seek pathways through them until they collapse as lost ants on a planet beset by mindless hedonists, narrow self-serving students, parents, and whiners all of whom are winding down toward a banal closure of death, even though they are still breathing.
    Did I enjoy this movie? Yes, I enjoyed the writing, the humor, and the intricate interactions that still burn in my brain. It is worth seeing, especially if you get caught up in the technique of excellent movie making.
    But no, I didn’t like this movie. I don’t think it really is true to the nuances of life that I find in the world, some of them stupid and frightening, but others surprising in their creativity, civility and even astounding generosity. And I don’t believe that the world will end in disaster, however pedestrian its last days.
    How the good will triumph in the end is beyond my comprehension—but that hope burns brightly in my soul!

PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:

What's the Spiritual Season this week? Baha'u'llah's birthday, Berlin opening, Sesame Street and Veterans Day

2009-11-08T16:10:00-05:00

WELCOME!

(You'll also find weekly news in our "ReadTheSpirit Planner." See a sample & learn how to get this free Email newsletter.) HERE IS ...

What's the Spiritual Season?
(November 9 to 16, 2009)
By Stephanie Fenton

THIS WEEK, we honor veterans two days in a row—on Tuesday with an American Legion anniversary and again on Wednesday with Veterans Day. Thank you, veterans! Also this week, it's always a "Sunny day" on Sesame Street, which celebrates its 40th anniversary. Monday, citizens around the world reflect on the fall of the Berlin Wall and on Saturday, we remember the pioneering spirit of Nellie Bly. Wednesday evening, Baha'is begin to say "Happy birthday!" to Baha'u'llah, and on Sunday, Orthodox Christians begin the 40-day Nativity Fast. Read all about these events and observances below ...

MONDAY, it's been just 20 years since East Germany opened its borders and "took down" the Berlin Wall. After nearly three decades of separation, East and West Berliners danced together atop the wall, talking, laughing and celebrating.The communist leaders of East Germany officially gave their permission in the early morning hours, and by mid-morning, hundreds of Germans along the 28-mile wall had begun to attack the concrete. This Newseum site offers some great "exhibits" on the Berlin Wall.
    As World War II ended, Berlin—the capital of Germany, home of the Nazi regimes—was in ruins. The U.S., Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union divided Germany and Berlin into four zones with each country controlling a zone. Soon, however, the Soviet Union's quarter came under a communist dictatorship. Tensions rose between the WWII Allies from the West and the Soviet Union until, in 1949, separate governments were constructed in East Germany and West Germany (read an in-depth story here, from the BBC). Millions of Eastern residents, desperate to escape the depressed area where food and housing were scarce, began to flee to the Western side. To stop fleeing residents and establish an official barrier, the Berlin Wall was constructed. Attempted escapees were often punished severely by Eastern border guards. The Globe and Mail, a sector of Globemedia Publishing of Canada, features 10 awe-inspiring photos of the wall, its history and its tear-down.
    In commemoration of the 20th anniversary, Berlin and other nearby cities have been in a jubilant state all year. (Travel Germany, a German tourism site, has all of the details.). Special events and exhibits have popped up all over Berlin in 2009, creating—as many visitors attest—a distinct energy of unity. Read what this visitor had to say, on Luxist.com. The Westin Grand Berlin is even offering a unique package that includes the opportunity to hammer away at a part of the wall that has been placed in front of the hotel! Find out the inside scoop from this story on MSNBC.
    In the U.S., The Wall Project in Los Angeles has garnered national interest. Through November 14, visitors can see parts of the real Berlin Wall along Wilshire Boulevard. Berlin resident Thomas Goerner donated these sections to the project-and artists have painted portraits on the donated pieces.Yesterday, a documentary was made of a reenactment of the fall of the wall. If you'd like to hear from Berliners on their memories of this famous day in 1989, watch this video in courtesy of the Guardian, a UK newspaper.
    So what are the spiritual themes here? If you lived through the Cold War, you know already. For decades, American school children were taught that the world was divided into two enormous halves—the "Free World" and ... well, the terrible Communist World. The tumbling of the wall was also a tearing down of one stereotypical view of global humanity.
    To this day, Germans debate the aftermath of choices made throughout the 20th Century. One interesting debate, right now, concerns the legacy of required religious education in German schools. According to Reuters, the Pro Reli campaign argues that Berlin's laws should allow students a choice between a faith-based religion lesson and an ethics course, and experts argue over which one would result in a more constructive approach.

TUESDAY, can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street? Join Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Elmo, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster and all the beloved childhood characters as they celebrate their 40th season! On November 10, 1969, children across the country tuned in to the first episode of this cultural phenomenon on PBS. Never before had children's television offered anything quite like this—and as of 2008, the program had banked more Emmy Awards than any other television show in history. (Click here for 40 Fun Things You Didn't Know About Sesame Street.) Today, the famous street continues to provide a place where multi-ethnic and multi-generational residents live together in peaceful coexistence. Here at ReadTheSpirit, we commend that!
    Back in 1969, television was far from kid-friendly. When Lloyd Morrisett, an experimental psychologist, walked into his living room to find hi 3-year-old daughter mesmerized by the TV test pattern, he knew something had to change. After telling the story at a dinner party a few weeks later, the party's host, Joan Ganz Cooney, dreamed up Sesame Street. (Here, Time pays tribute to the Street with a slideshow of photos, including some of the show's first episode.)
    "Educators were virtually ignoring the intellect of preschool children," said Cooney, who worked with the show since its beginning.
    After the launch of "Sesame Street," the curriculum of kindergarten classrooms changed dramatically. Suddenly, hoards of children were entering school already recognizing letters, numbers and basic math functions. Newsweek commemorates this incredible show with a fantastic article on "How Sesame Street Changed the World." According to a 2001 study, the show's effects on reading and achievement last through high school! "Sesame Street" continues to take its learning seriously, as it plans to spend $770,000 on its department of education and research in 2009. (Read more at Sesame Workshop.)
    Sesame Street stays current by featuring award-winning Web pages, interactive, colorful game sites, blogs and much more. It has expanded its educational objectives to include healthy eating, bilingual learning and life's tough issues, just to name a few. Two years ago, major cities including New York, Hong Kong, London and Mexico City declared October 10 "Panwapa Day," the day a multimedia project began that encouraged youth to appreciate global citizenship. And where did this idea come from? Well, Sesame Street, of course!
    On an interfaith note, Sesame Street recently introduced its newest character as Leela, a Hindu. As of August 2008, Leela has taught viewers about Indian and Hindu culture and festivals.
    In our special ReadTheSpirit magazine section for Christian youth groups, this week's theme is Sesame Street—asking teens what they remember most fondly and how childhood stories change over time.

Also, TUESDAY is our first veterans celebration of the week: On this day 90 years ago, the American Legion held its first annual convention. The American Legion, chartered by Congress, is an organization of U.S. veterans. As with Veterans Day (which is tomorrow), the American Legion was founded after WWI. Today, it boasts approximately 2.7 members. View some historic photos here.
    When you think of the American Legion, you may think of parades or other commemorative events. But the American Legion does more than that: It gets front-and-center in lobbying for veteran benefits, the Veterans Affairs hospital system and more. Find out how the Legion very recently co-raised $100,000 for soldiers on active duty.
    In 2005, the American Legion caused quite a stir when it pushed to get the Public Expression of Religion Act made into law (read full details on the California American Legion site). Well-known for its support of religion and opposition to atheism, the American Legion wanted protection of its right to "withdraw the authority of judges to award attorney fees, or damages ... against the Boy Scouts, the Ten Commandments or other public displays of America's religious history, such as ... religious symbols at veterans memorials. Legion representatives argued their right to keep the constitutional right of freedom of expression of religion. In September 2006, the House passed an amended version of the bill, deemed the Veterans' Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and Other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act of 2006. Our Voice, the publication of the American Legion, covered this story two years ago.
    The Legion has also kept its religious motto, "For God and Country." We know that these can be highly contentious issues with Americans on various sides of this complex debate. What is your opinion? Email us.

WEDNESDAY, thank a veteran. On this day, the Commonwealth of Nations recognizes Veterans Day! Veterans Day officially began after fighting in WWI—or, The Great War—had ceased on November 11, 1918. (View the 2009 Veterans Day poster here).
    In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 as the first observance of Armistice Day in America, saying, "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory ..." On November 11, Americans were encouraged to hang flags high, cease business until later morning hours, give tributes in schools and reflect on those who had earned Americans their freedoms. It wasn't until after WWII that November 11 expanded to include all veterans, and therefore came to be called Veterans Day. Approximately 2.9 Americans are veterans today—many of them regularly in the news this year in the national debate over treatment of veterans and especially returning soldiers.
    The National Veterans Day Ceremony is held each year at Arlington National Cemetery (find out details on the state of Virginia's Web site), but if you'd like to show your appreciation in a personal way, Annie's homepage has some wonderful ideas of how you can reach out for Veterans Day. Among her many suggestions are: Write a soldier on active duty; visit a veteran's hospital, taking along some flowers or homemade treats; visit your local veteran's memorial; pray for a service person or offer to help your place of worship give a tribute to veterans. (Also, this site, deemed "sermon central," has some intriguing Veterans Day sermons).
    This year, the Library of Congress is co-hosting a National Teach-In on veterans history. Visit this History Channel site to learn how your local school can tune in! If you'd like to watch the Teach-In, but your schedule doesn't permit it, an archived webcast can be viewed at Veterans.com.

WEDNESDAY at sundown, a Baha'i holy days begins celebrating the Birth of Baha'u'llah. Born in 1817 in Iran, Baha'u'llah's coming was foretold by the Bab. Baha'u'llah is considered to be a Manifestation of God (along with Moses, Abraham, Christ, Muhammad, Krishna and Buddha), and is the founder of the Baha'i faith. Baha'is believe that a loving Creator has sent these figures throughout history to find the world's great religions and to help us know how to worship Him. Read more about Baha'u'llah's life on the BBC Web site.
According to Baha'i tradition, Baha'u'llah declared his birth one of four great festivals (read more on Wikipedia). Another great festival is the birthday of the Bab, and Baha'u'llah called both his and the Bab's birthdays "Twin birthdays," declaring that they should be seen as one in "the sight of God."
Baha'u'llah's son encouraged Baha'is to celebrate his father's birthday to increase unity in the community. Today—and for the past four decades—Baha'is in the Washington, D.C. area have hosted a large birthday party for Baha'u'llah.

SATURDAY, release your inner sense of adventure! On this day 120 years ago, Nellie Bly—inspired by the book by Jules Verne—set out to travel the world in 80 days.
    The woman who started out as a baby christened in a bright pink gown turned into a global figue of strong spirit, an unfaltering passion for justice and the bravery to make changes that the world had not yet seen.
    Elizabeth Cochran—whose later took on her more famous pen name—was born in Pennsylvania. At the age of 18, Nellie wrote an infuriated, anonymous letter to the Pittsburgh Dispatch. The editor was so impressed with her writing that he asked her to show herself. After one conversation, the editor hired Cochran as one of the few women journalists of her time (also asking her to change her name to Nellie Bly, so that her name wouldn't sound so "feminine").
    Bly was a pioneer in investigative reporting when she posed as a sweatshop worker, and even a mental patient, to expose terrible conditions. Bly was thrown out of countries, threatened by companies and causing an uproar for her exposure of truth when, in the fall of 1888, she caught wind of a creative idea: a fictional hero in Jules Verne's novel traveling around the world in less than 80 days. Nellie—now employed by the New York World—laid down a public challenge that she could do it in less time. She also threatened to do it for another newspaper if the New York World did not send her. (Read more fun facts on Nellie's life here, from the Library of Congress ).
    On November 14, 1889, Bly began her journey, returning 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds later. Bly was a global celebrity and Verne's novel was more popular than ever (Verne continues to remain the most translated author in the world today). If you're interested in reading even more about this fascinating woman's life, see this essay, from the New York City Women's Biography Hub. Or, if you're more intrigued by her journey around the world, check out this neat multimedia online exhibit from PBS.
    (Here's an intriguing note on spirituality in Verne's novel: Religion and global culture were not portrayed by Verne in what, today, would be considered an appropriately balanced way. But Verne did at least spark worldwide interest in other cultures. Verne himself was Roman Catholic—and one of the unusual American religious sidelights in his novel was chapter 27 about Mormonism.)
    When Nellie Bly died in January of 1922, all New York newspapers ran a detailed obituary. Read the archived obituary from the New York Times here.
    According to an article on Scholastic's Web site, few Americans might recognize the name "Nellie Bly" today. But 100 years ago, it would have been difficult to find an American who did not. For a whole plethora of sites that feature Nellie, NellieBly.org is a great place to go.

SUNDAY, Orthodox Christians begin the Nativity Fast, an observance that lasts 40 days—almost two weeks longer than Advent for Western Christians—and ends on Christmas. Through physical fasting, Eastern Christians also focus on fasting from sin. Using this time for reflecting on Jesus' birth and helping the poor are also popular parts of the Nativity Fast. Read more on the Web page of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
    Based on the glitter and commercialism surrounding the Christmas season, non-Christians may believe that Dec. 25 marks the most important day of the Christian calendar. Don't be fooled! In fact, Pascha (Easter) is considered more important.
    Nevertheless, the Nativity preparation includes some fascinating traditions: For example, during the Nativity Fast, physical demands are withheld on the numerous feast days that recognize Old Testament prophets who Eastern Christians believe spoke about the incarnation of Christ. Two Sundays prior to the Nativity, the church celebrates the ancestors in Jesus' bloodline. On the Sunday before the Nativity Fast, Orthodox Christians recognize the many men and women who pleased God and lived sometime between creation and St. Joseph. The strictest fast day is the Eve of the Nativity, Dec. 24, during which no solid food is consumed until the first evening star is seen in the sky. Some traditional Orthodox churches still hold an All-Night Vigil on Dec. 24, although most places of worship do not. (Read what the Orthodox Church in America has to say about the reasons for fasting).
    Many traditions vary across the enormous Orthodox world. For instance, the Coptic Orthodox Church (with roots in Egypt but followers around the globe) begins fasting three days earlier than its "sibling" sects: This branch fasts early to honor the moving of the mountain of Mukattam through St. Simon the Tanner in 975.
    The Armenian Apostolic Church recognizes the Nativity date as January 6, and begins its Fast of Advent on Nov. 19.

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(Originally published at http://www.ReadTheSpirit.com/)

553: Do you know the real Nellie Bly? No, she's not a serial killer! (Sorry NPR)

2009-11-05T00:12:00-05:00

I'm a huge fan of National Public Radio, but a weird mental glitch earlier this week led an on-air host of "All Things Considered" to name "Nellie Bly" in a laundry list of serial killers! Yes, no kidding—it happened. NPR corrected the error one day later, but millions of listeners already had heard Nellie Bly named as a homicidal maniac. (I fear that most of the original listeners never heard the correction. An NPR editor assured me personally that the correction was made, but I didn't hear it, for example.)
    At ReadTheSpirit, we already were planning to honor Nellie, next week, on the 120th anniversary of her historic 'Round the World challenge. Next week, you can read Stephanie Fenton's piece about that anniversary. (Or, for now, you can check out Stephanie's "Season" column for this week.)
    Well, when we heard poor Nellie—who many Americans obviously have forgotten—maligned in the same breath as Jeffrey Dahmer, we had to expand our Nellie Bly coverage.
    Count this as our noble effort to repair her memory!
    If you want to help, Email a friend right now and urge them to come read this Nellie Bly story. Come on! One by one, we make a difference here. Let's give Nellie a boost!

Why care about Nellie Bly?
    As you'll learn next week in Stephanie's column, she was a pioneer in investigative reporting in the late 1800s—not to mention her gender-busting role as a world-famous woman journalist, proving defiantly that women could "do" journalism often better than men!
    Among her investigations, she helped to expose abusive conditions within mental asylums. (More next week from Stephanie on that.)
    Today—we want to share excerpts of her world-changing report from circling the Earth in record time. Thanks to the University of Pennsylvania, you can read Nellie's entire book about her global adventures. Remember that she was an American zooming around the world in 1889, so some of her language and attitudes toward global cultures look sadly flawed, 120 years later. But, overall, she optimistically fueled global excitement for cross-cultural travel. For example, she came back with a glowing report on the Japanese, which was not always a popular American attitude.
    Here are samples of Nellie's unique flair ...

Starting her historic journey ...
    Nellie already was famous as a daring newspaper reporter when she proposed beating Jules Verne's fictional 80-day record in his novel about Phileas Fogg. Here's a sample of her confident style as a barrier buster ...
    I approached my editor rather timidly on the subject. I was afraid that he would think the idea too wild and visionary.
    "Have you any ideas?" he asked, as I sat down by his desk.
    "One," I answered quietly.
    He sat toying with his pens, waiting for me to continue, so I blurted out: "I want to go around the world!"
    "Well?" he said, inquiringly looking up with a faint smile in his kind eyes.
    "I want to go around in eighty days or less. I think I can beat Phileas Fogg's record. May I try it?"
    To my dismay he told me that in the office they had thought of this same idea before and the intention was to send a man. However he offered me the consolation that he would favor my going, and then we went to talk with the business manager about it.
    "It is impossible for you to do it," was the terrible verdict. "In the first place you are a woman and would need a protector, and even if it were possible for you to travel alone you would need to carry so much baggage that it would detain you in making rapid changes. Besides you speak nothing but English, so there is no use talking about it; no one but a man can do this."
    "Very well," I said angrily, "Start the man, and I'll start the same day for some other newspaper and beat him."
    "I believe you would," he said slowly.

And she did! But, she didn't make it easy on herself ...
    Nellie boasted that she could beat Verne's fictional character by at least 5 days! No one could believe that—certainly not Verne himself. In addition, Nellie didn't make the journey at a break-neck pace. She added interesting stops along the way!
    One of them fulfilled her dream of visiting Verne himself—to show him that a woman was capable of beating his character's dramatic record in the novel. In her words ...
    M. Jules Verne ... sat forward on the edge of his chair. His snow-white hair rather long and heavy was standing up in artistic disorder; his full beard, rivaling his hair in snowiness, hid the lower part of his face and the brilliancy of his bright eyes that were overshadowed with heavy white brows, and the rapidity of his speech and the quick movements of his firm white hands all bespoke energy—life—with enthusiasm. ...
    M. Verne asked me what my line of travel was to be, and I was very happy to speak one thing that he could understand, so I told him. "My line of travel is from New York to London, then Calais, Brindisi, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, Aden, Colombo, Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York."
    "Why do you not go to Bombay as my hero Phileas Fogg did?" M. Verne asked.
    "Because I am more anxious to save time than a young widow," I answered.
    "You may save a young widower before you return," M. Verne said with a smile.
    I smiled with a superior knowledge—as women always will at such insinuations.
    I looked at the watch on my wrist and saw that my time was getting short. There was only one train that I could take from here to Calais, and if I missed it I might just as well return to New York by the way I came, for the loss of that train meant one week's delay. ...
    As we clinked glasses of wine, he wished me "God speed."
    "If you do it in seventy-nine days, I shall applaud with both hands," Jules Verne said.
    Then, I knew he doubted the possibility of my doing it in seventy-five days, as I had promised.
    Finally, he complimented me, endeavoring to speak to me in English as his glass tipped mine:
    "Good luck, Nellie Bly."

Nellie nailed it ...
    She took off from Hoboken on November 14, 1889, and finished on January 25, 1890. She described her trip this way—and remember that this was 120 years ago!
    Total time occupied in tour, 1,734 hours and 11 minutes, being 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes.
    I visited or passed through the following countries: England, France, Italy, Egypt, Japan, the United States, and the following British possessions: Aden, Arabia; Colombo, Isle of Ceylon; Penang, Prince of Wales Island; Singapore, Malay Peninsula; and the Island of Hong Kong. ...
    I spent 56 days 12 hours and 41 minutes in actual travel and lost by delay 15 days 17 hours and 30 minutes. ...
    In diverging from my original line of travel to visit M. and Mme. Jules Verne at Amiens, I traveled 179-1/2 miles. ...
    Up to date, my trip is the fastest on record between San Francisco and Chicago. One run was 250 miles in 250 minutes, and that, counting the minutes lost stopping at a half dozen different towns. Another run was 59 miles in 50 minutes. Between Topeka and Kansas City we ran 13 miles in 11 minutes. Later we ran a mile in 53 seconds, and again 26 miles in 23 minutes. ...

She left the world with this heart-felt note of encouragement ...
    Nellie closed her book with this hopeful image of "a chain around the earth" ...
    To so many people this wide world over am I indebted for kindnesses that I cannot, in a little book like this, thank them all individually. They form a chain around the earth.
    To each and all of you, men, women and children, in my land and in the lands I visited, I am most truly grateful. Every kind act and thought, if but an unuttered wish, a cheer, a tiny flower, is embedded in my memory as one of the pleasant things of my unique tour.

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552: Meet Cathleen Falsani (aka GodGrrl) who's preaching the Coen gospel now

2009-11-04T00:09:00-05:00

Cathleen Falsani is one of the last full-time Religion Writers left alive in American newspapers—so that's the first major reason you should support her work. Buying her book is a good deed akin to saving rare species of owls. It's virtually a mitzvah—a valued sacred act—to buy a copy of Cathleen's book. That's as strong a recommendation as ReadTheSpirit can make.
    And, listen! This good deed is fun. She's very good at her craft. It's a pleasure to explore her world.
    If you live near Chicago, I'm preaching to the choir. You already enjoy her columns in the Chicago Sun Times.
    If you're a regular reader of ReadTheSpirit, you'll remember her popular book, "Sin Boldly," which we recommended earlier. Here's that earlier interview with Cathleen on "Sin Boldly."
    Now, Cathleen is inviting readers to enjoy the spiritual wisdom of the Brothers Coen with her in the new book, "The Dude Abides," which also is the nameplate on one of Cathleen's blogs.
    If you're familiar with her work already, you know that Cathleen proudly describes herself as evangelical and her publishing house, Zondervan, is synonymous with top-flight evangelical publishing. (They're Rob Bell's home base, for example.)
    And, Cathleen is well aware the Coens come from a Jewish family. Her book's Foreword was written by Rabbi Allen Secher, who is probably as well known nationally as Cathleen for his many years of media work.
    Her new book is custom-made for small-group discussions in congregations, whatever your religious affiliation might be. The whole point of the book is to kick start lively discussion about the point at which our spiritual journeys intersect popular culture.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR CONVERSATION
WITH CATHLEEN FALSANI ON "THE DUDE ABIDES"

    DAVID: The first news item we ought to mention is your brand-new Web site—www.GodGrrl.com—which looks great. We're going to put a link to your new site at the top of our interview with you, because it's a very creative place to find out more about your work, your books and your ongoing adventures.
    CATHLEEN: In the new site, you can read about all three of the books I’ve completed so far and then I’ll add a fourth book that should come out next year. On the site, we’ve also got video, mp3s, radio interviews and my blogs.
    DAVID: You’ve had a long-time interest in all forms of media, so writing about the Coen brothers’ work is a natural subject for you. But, as I understand it, you’ve never actually interviewed the Coens. They don’t like to talk about the underling themes in their films. They want their films to speak for themselves.
    CATHLEEN: They want people to interact with their films as living, breathing art forms. They’re interested in each of us bringing our own baggage into the theater and responding to what we experience. I’m absolutely certain that I saw some things in their films that they never intended—and maybe weren’t even aware of themselves—but I’m also certain there are many important things they intentionally put there for us to find.
    I did meet them at the Toronto Film Festival. I gave Joel a copy of my book. He was really amused and brought a copy to his brother. They asked me to sign the books. They hadn’t read it, of course, but they were very enthusiastic about the idea as we talked.
    DAVID: It’s nice to hear they were gracious to you. Sometimes people get so caught up in the media profession that they stop behaving like—well, like real people.
    CATHLEEN: They’re very lovely Midwestern people with very little pretense, considering they’re so successful at filmmaking. They don’t take themselves too seriously. They’re easygoing and funny—just how I hoped they would be.
    DAVID: There’s an interesting anecdote in your book about Gabriel Byrne, the actor who’s probably best known right now for his HBO series “In Treatment.” Gabriel co-starred in “Miller’s Crossing,” an earlier film about the Irish mob during Prohibition.
    In that movie, there’s a famous scene involving a man’s fedora—just an empty broad-brimmed hat that blows through the woods. Gabriel was working with the Coens on that movie and he asked about the hat sequence. What’s it mean? Why is this hat blowing around? And they refused to tell him anything about the scene, right?
    CATHLEEN: Yes, that’s true. I like that about them a great deal. They don’t feel the need to plumb the depths of their own work in explanations afterward. They love what they do. They raise certain questions over and over again in their movies. But they want viewers to engage with the films themselves.

    DAVID: That’s what you do in this book—you engage us. In 14 chapters, you give us your own spiritual interpretation of all 14 Coen movies. Then, you turn us loose as readers to ask questions. You want us to argue with you—and with the Coens—and with each other—struggling to distill some wisdom from the experience.
    So, let’s talk about several films in the book—to give readers a feel for your own interpretations. Let’s start with “Miller’s Crossing.” In the movie, Gabriel Byrne plays Tom Reagan, a brilliant but deeply troubled adviser to an Irish mob boss. Describe just a little about how you understand this movie.
    CATHLEEN: In “Miller’s Crossing,” Tom Reagan is a postmodern man in a world that’s not quite postmodern. The story is set long ago, but we recognize him as exploring relationships we all can understand today.
    He’s Catholic and was raised in a religious home, but he finds himself in a whole new world—this world of organized crime and Prohibition and politics. There are all of these complex new rules to navigate, but none of them really are based on faith. He trusts no one and yet he’s totally faithful and loyal to the mob boss he serves.
    Tom wears this fedora that’s like his emotional body armor. He’s always having his hat knocked off and somebody hands it back to him.
    He longs for moral order. He longs for a God of grace. He’s searching for whatever God-force might be out there. And he also longs for real human intimacy.
    DAVID: As hard-edged and cynical as he is, Tom keeps extending grace to other people in the movie—and often he finds himself punished for it, right?
    CATHLEEN: Yes, Tom shows mercy in the film and he gets burned for having shown mercy. One wonders at the end of the film, when we see Tom pulling down the hat over his eyes, whether that’s a permanent retreat. Or, perhaps he’s learned from what he’s experienced—so that he finally is able to make new connections with people and with God.
    DAVID: So, if you’re leading a small group through “Miller’s Crossing,” there are lots of good questions one could ask. Give us a couple of examples.
    CATHLEEN: One good question starts by saying to people: “We’ve seen that Tom is hiding lots of things from God.” Then you ask: “What are you hiding from God?”
    Another question you could ask: “If God sees everything, then how does that affect what we choose to show other people and what we continue trying to hide from other people?”

    DAVID: Then, let’s talk about a movie that millions of people have enjoyed: “Fargo.” The hero of this Minnesota crime story is a pregnant police woman. You write in the book that she’s a life-giver relentlessly confronting people who are life-takers. One of the amazing things in “Fargo” is that this woman’s confidence never fails her. She believes that, in the end, goodness will win. She investigates some horrible crimes—and just keeps going until she restores the balance of justice. Nothing stops her.
    CATHLEEN: I’ve always liked “Fargo,” but it stumped me for a while as I tried to think about how it fit into this book. It’s different than many of their other films. But, when it clicked in my mind, it really clicked. I think this is the closest they’ve got to a morality play—playing out their vision of a Judeo-Christian, morally ordered universe.
    Marge Gunderson is a life bearer. She’s heavy with child. In the Coen-iverse, she’s their best example of their highest moral values. She’s decent. She’s kind and respectful of others. She’s always in good cheer—and it’s never a false kind of cheer. She sees the best in people even though her job requires her to deal with the worst in people. The closest she ever comes to losing her temper is when she’s interviewing the crooked car dealer and she actually gets close to snippy with him.
    Even when she confronts one of the killers at the wood chipper—and his former partner’s foot is sticking out of the machine—she doesn’t shoot to kill in this confrontation. She’s grace filled and merciful.
    Throughout the entire film, her own home remains this haven of simplicity, warmth, order and love.
    DAVID: One of the questions you ask in your book is: If you could have a conversation with a character from the movie, what would you ask? I think I might start with Marge Gunderson. She seems like someone a lot of us know already. Just imagine a conversation with Marge. What would we ask her about faith?
    CATHLEEN: We don’t see her doing overtly religious things in the movie, but I think it’s easy to imagine that she’s a good Lutheran, goes to church and is active in the ladies’ guild.

    DAVID: How about “No Country for Old Men.” Now, on this film I disagree with your interpretation in the book. You describe this movie as an example of “theodicy,” which is a centuries-old term in philosophy for defending the justice of God. It’s a way of responding to the problem of evil in the world. How can there be a God when there is so much evil all around us? Theodicy is a classical attempt to answer that question.
    Here’s where I disagree with you: I don’t see anything in “No Country for Old Men” that defends God at all. It’s a relentlessly bleak movie. Evil wins in the end.
    CATHLEEN: Yes, the movie is a really good depiction of what evil feels like and how even good people, people of faith, sometimes are powerless to stop it. The killer in this movie just keeps going. He can’t be stopped. That’s what’s so terrifying. He takes pleasure in killing and he’s got his own very strange set of moral rules. He’s almost omnipotent.
    Then we have this sheriff played by Tommy Lee Jones—someone who I think does have a kind of faith in his life—and even he can’t stop the killer.
    DAVID: So where is the defense of God in the face of such evil? Seems to me that God comes up completely empty at the end of this movie.
    CATHLEEN: I don’t think the Coens were trying to defend God in this movie. I think Joel and Ethan are agnostics, asking difficult questions about God and faith and all kinds of spiritual and moral questions. I think we bring our own questions and our own answers to these sometimes very difficult stories.
    DAVID: The way that I think “No Country” makes sense, in terms of a spiritual discussion, is if we see it as the flip side of “Fargo.” I think the two movies are closely related—almost a set of reversed images.
    CATHLEEN: I do think that one way we can respond to these two films is to look at the confounding struggles within our own lives. Both films raise deep questions about good and evil. Of all the Coens’ films, I think “No Country for Old Men” is probably the most difficult mirror to look into.

    DAVID: Let’s close with another real crowd pleaser: “O Brother Where Art Thou?” People just love this film! It’s a really weird, quirky movie and it’s based very, very loosely on the Odyssey and ancient mythology—but it led to a revival in “old time” American music. I’ve been in church services where people have performed music from this movie.
    CATHLEEN: I think, in this case, the claims about ancient mythology are actually just a funny excuse for some of the elements in this story. The Coens often misdirect us and surprise us—like saying: Hey look over here! And really they’re capturing our attention with a story that takes us in a completely different direction.
    I think “O Brother” is a film about grace and what it means to be a family and ultimately what it means to be a family of God. They use this device of the Odyssey as a distraction, I think, to keep us from becoming overburdened with the heavier stuff they’re showing us.
    There’s a whole lot going on in this film! You’ve got a Cyclops, a traveling Bible salesman with an eye patch. And it turns out he’s also one of the ring leaders in the Ku Klux Klan. On one level, this movie may seem like a frivolous slapstick comedy, but the characters here are complex.
    I think the music is very important in this movie. I think a lot of the deeper themes are carried in the music itself.
    DAVID: You suggest that people talk about the nature of grace, after seeing this particular movie. That’s likely to spark a lot of discussion after “O Brother,” because we’ve seen a whole range of characters here—some who are miraculously saved and some who are not; some who are saved even though they’re dirt simple in their faith and some who seem to have cleverly helped themselves along.

    CATHLEEN: These are powerful films. I’m sure that I saw things in these films that reflect my own Christian faith. I am a Christian and I see these films through my own lens. Other people will see them through other lenses. Perhaps some of the things in these movies were never intended by the Coens—but I argue that these ideas are right there on the screen.
    That’s the power of art—the power of story.
    I hope that a lot of people in religious leadership will pick up this book and take a look at the ideas I’m describing. Film is the language of today’s generation. Maybe the Coens aren’t your cup of tea, but you should be looking at film in this way. Millions of people are passionate about film or about television shows they love. Pay attention to what people are passionate about and start the conversation about faith right there where they live.

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