Tuesday's News & Ideas - 5/31/2021

A church, a gathering place for generations, becomes a hub for Uvalde’s grief
The New York Times: As soon as the scale of the tragedy became clear, congregants rushed to Sacred Heart Catholic Church. In the days since, they’ve kept coming in search of comfort and community.

A $2 million relic was stolen and an angel statue was beheaded at a Brooklyn church
Associated Press: Police say someone busted into the altar at a New York City church, stole a $2 million gold relic and removed the head from a statue of an angel at some point late last week.

Church of God in Christ congregations given $100,000 by pandemic support campaign
Religion News Service: ‘Surprisingly, the generosity has not stopped and churches continued to give,’ said organizer Justin Giboney.

At Hyde Park seminary, a mural explores ‘all that’s inequitable’ but also aims to reflect joy
Chicago Sun-Times: The Rev. Immanuel Karunakaran was one of four McCormick Theological Seminary graduates who worked on the mural there. He says he aimed to show the complexity of ‘God within our suffering.’

The pandemic and the future of theology: A conversation with Stanley Hauerwas
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: In response to questions about how the pandemic has posed a challenge to Christian life, Hauerwas was not content to offer authoritative responses.

The Spark

The staff of Uvalde’s local paper cover the worst day of their lives
The paper’s employees* lost neighbors, acquaintances, and a daughter in a school shooting. Then they had to report the story, The New Yorker says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers