CHICAGO, IL (March 23, 2018) – Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Each Friday we post five of them. Following is a sample of those submissions—their inclusion does not represent an endorsement by the Covenant of any views expressed.
He Took Photo of Every Mailbox in Seattle
Can the undertaking to photograph of every mailbox in Seattle be a metaphor for spiritual quests? This story is proof that you never know what you might discover along the way.
From the article: “[David] Peterman, who has lived in Seattle for more than 30 years, was surprised at what he learned about his city. ‘I found neighborhoods I had never heard of,’ he says. He cites one small neighborhood next to a major freeway, which he has driven by hundreds of times. ‘I looked on the map, and there was a mailbox,’ he says. Along with it were several blocks of homes: ‘People’s lives are back here, and I had no idea.’”
Religious Leaders Say Death of Rhino a Spiritual Loss
Sudan, the last male northern white rhino in the world, died at the age of 45. More than poachers are to blame.
From the article: “We are staring at the extinction of the animal type, under our watch. I think it’s a spiritual matter,” said the Rev. Charles Odira, a Roman Catholic conservationist priest from Kenya, where the rhino lived. “I feel as if we have neglected our duty as stewards of creation and should have done more for this species.”
Snoop Dogg’s New Album Tops Gospel Charts
Lots of famous people live lives that few people would point to as Christian role models yet unexpectedly enjoy the support of Christians. Gospel and non-gospel artists appear on the record.
From the article: “According to critics, the rap artist’s latest creation, named Snoop Dogg Presents Bible of Love, is a truly awesome product. The public seemingly agrees: Bible of Love is ranked as the most downloaded album relating to ‘Gospel and Christian’ on iTunes.”
The Founder of Christian Rock Music Would Hate It Today
It can be a dangerous thing to suggest what someone would or wouldn’t like, but Larry Norman was pretty clear about his opinions when he was alive.
From the article: “Larry Norman was perhaps the most complex figure in 20th-century American music. He was a mess of contradictions, a singer with a message who grew more contradictory the more he tried to keep his message pure. He struggled quite visibly, grappling both with his own personal failings and with a movement that he helped start but which leapt beyond his control, mutating into something he hated and which had world-changing implications.”
Hollywood Bets Big on Christian Movies
So far Hollywood is winning. Films with strong Christian themes—as well as those based on biblical stories—have come a long way since Pat Boone and Erik Estrada were featured in “The Cross and the Switchblade.”
From the article: “Just this weekend, I Can Only Imagine — a religious indie film about the best-selling Christian music single of all time — stunned observers by raking in more than $17 million, good for third-place at the weekend box office.” This is hardly a random occurrence. In 2015, the Christian publication Movieguide charted that the number of films with “strong Christian content” had steadily risen from 16 in 1996 to 65 in 2015. Annual box office receipts from these films during this period skyrocketed from $200 million to more than $5 billion. And it’s only getting bigger.
