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fight or flight It’s only natural. When bad things happen, you raise your fists or start running.
As a journalist, running away is rarely an option. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have to hit people, but I also don’t have to hide when tensions rise.
But in May, amid a series of mass shootings, I began to feel that my days of struggle were numbered. I couldn’t stand reading the news anymore, let alone finding ways to write about the latest news.
It was during this difficult period, a time when all I wanted was to hide with my young son somewhere safe, that my copy of “The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life” came. I started reading it in preparation for interviewing the author and soon realized it couldn’t have come at a better time.
In the book, Simran Jeet Singh describes fighting discrimination based on faith and race throughout her life and where she has found hope and strength during times when she wanted to hide. He writes about rediscovering the power of human connection and overcoming the urge to hate what you can’t understand.
Perhaps the best part is that Singh does all of this while freely acknowledging his imperfections. Make it clear that you don’t need to be a superhero to develop better ways to cope with pain and stress.
When I met with Singh in late May, I told him I was struggling to get the recent mass shootings out of my head. And then I asked her what I should do the next time I’m heartbroken by breaking news.
First, I have to respect my feelings, he said. It’s okay and even okay to hold my child and cry after reading about a school shooting, especially when the alternative is to pretend everything is fine.
But then, I have to pick myself up and make a plan. I need to re-enter the world instead of hiding on the couch.
“Engage with (the news) in a way that expresses the best of its values,” Singh said.
For me, this commitment is a lot like doing my job. I value honesty and thoughtfulness, and I’m lucky to work for a company that encourages its writers to find nuanced ways to write about current events.
Finally, Singh said, I must intentionally develop and express compassion for others, and for myself. In the midst of difficult times, the world needs kindness and open hearts, not more anger and avoidance.
“We’re never going to get to a place where we all agree with everyone about our politics, worldviews and how we behave. What we can do is try and at least see where people are coming from,” he said.
If you too have been struggling to digest all the news this summer, I encourage you to check out Singh’s new book. I’m betting it came at exactly the right time for more than just me.
Finishing the press
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Term of the week: Kosher phones
Ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are also known as Haredim, avoid many forms of modern technology due to concerns about secular corruption. But these days, it’s nearly impossible to raise a family and make a living without access to a cell phone, which is why ultra-Orthodox rabbis in Israel worked with the communications industry to develop “kosher phones,” he said. . Religion news service. These devices allow calls to other “kosher” numbers, but do not provide access to “messaging, video, radio (or) the Internet.”
Although community leaders have worked diligently to discourage the use of other types of phones, their control is slipping away, the Religion News Service reported. Today, some Haredim have two phones and use the non-kosher one for their careers or in case of emergency.
What I am reading…
Father Hernan Cuevas reported to his new job in Highland Park, Illinois, just four days before a shooter claimed seven lives during an Independence Day parade. The following week was a blur of services and worship events as the 40-year-old Catholic leader tried to console a community that he was just getting to know each other. “You can’t trust our own peace, because we can easily break that peace,” he told The Washington Post. “You need something stronger.”
A few weeks ago, Gallup released new data showing that the share of Americans who profess a belief in God has dropped to 81%. In conversations about this, I was quick to point out that 81% is still pretty high, and that it seems silly to worry about declining beliefs when the belief is still so common. However, after reading a new blog about the Gallup poll by Daniel Cox, I’m rethinking my position. He makes a compelling case for why even a modest decline in belief is a very big thing.
The Associated Press ran a lovely story last week about what “Ms. Marvel,” a new Disney+ show featuring a young muslim superhero, stands for the American Muslim community. He pointed out that the creators of the show intentionally tried to bring back some language and practices that have been used as a weapon against Muslims in the past.
Odds and ends
Last week, images of outer space taken by the James Webb Space Telescope captivated the world. This is what Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican Space Observatoryhe was to say of them: “This is God’s creation revealed to us, and in it we can see both his amazing power and his love of beauty.”
Before there was Wordle, there was the Fifteen Jigsaw Puzzles. He took the country by storm more than two centuries ago.
