NOVEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH -- HOPE MATTERS
Hope Matters: The Untold Story of Faith in America by John A. Calhoun
From the Author, the founding President and CEO for more than twenty years of the National Crime Prevention Council:
I wrote Hope Matters in part because it seems that the public face of faith is associated with extremism and intolerance—faith often used to separate one group from another, and even to justify violence.
Recall the response of the neighbor of the London bomber who, when asked whether she noticed anything different about the bomber, said, “I could see he was becoming increasingly religious.” Thus religion equals violence. Not so the people in this book. Their faith is the complete opposite: their faith reconciles, not divides; alleviates pain, not causes it, serves, not dominates. These twenty-four extraordinary individuals—Christians and Jews, Muslims and Baha’is, Hindus and American Indians—rely on their deep personal beliefs to strengthen them to do more and more for their communities.
I did not write this 272-page book for me, although it brought me back to where I got my start in public service—in the faith community during the Civil Rights Movement. Nor did I write it for those portrayed in the book. I wanted to spotlight the other side of the faith story—an affirming, joyous side.
It is my hope that Hope Matters will lead readers to ask, “How can I be there for my neighbor?” Is there a more important question as we go through life together?
For those who choose to delve into the book, I hope you get a taste of the inspiration I felt when I was fortunate enough to have begun this writing odyssey more than two years ago.
READ MORE AND JOIN THE BOOK DISCUSSION
Hope Matters
I finally finished our November book of the month, Hope Matters by Jack Calhoun. I commend this book to CrossLeft readers. The book provides a number of vignettes of folks around the country who rely on their faith to guide them to be activists in political and social change. I found the book quite inspirational in my own work with IPC and CrossLeft.
Dear John,
Hi,
I HOPE all the best for you and your book.
I too wrote a book about the faith of Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindu's and Nature Lovers based on the memoirs of a 1948 Palestinian Muslim refugee whose morals, ethics and faith perfectly mirror what Jesus was always on about;
Forgiving and blessing one's 'enemies'
The first chapter of "KEEP HOPE ALIVE" begins the very morning after Rev. King was assassinated and is a work of public service for it is a 100% fund raising vehicle for the non-profit Interfaith Olive Trees Foundation for Peace which literally extends the olive branch by raising funds to provide fruit bearing trees for the Holy Land to help replace the over one million trees destroyed by The Wall.
"KEEP HOPE ALIVE" is also my spiritual journey and I was inspired to share it [through fictional characters] by the lives of the saints who wrote about their struggles and relationship with Christ.
I wonder if you would agree that if we Christians cannot offer the world HOPE, do we really have anything at all to offer?
I wonder if you would agree that the opposite of faith is NOT disbelief, but FEAR?
Hoping all the best for you and your book
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I HOPE you will be inspired by this quote from St. Augustine:
"HOPE has two children. The first is ANGER at the way things are. The second is COURAGE to DO SOMETHING about it."
e
Eileen Fleming,
Reporter and Editor of
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Author "KEEP HOPE ALIVE" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"
Producer of "30 Minutes with Vanunu"