Wednesday’s News & Ideas - 11/26/2025

How one conservative Christian family is pushing back against ICE
Religion News Service: A coalition of activists, everyday citizens and people of faith — including theologically conservative Christians — have pooled resources and learned new technologies to mount an effort they say is designed to protect immigrants in their neighborhoods and around Chicago.

A tale of two Thanksgivings*
The Christian Century: Two adjacent items in a 1943 issue of The Saturday Evening Post highlight the conflict — and joy — inherent in our mythic meal.

Rian Johnson on miracles, mystery and his own faith story in ‘Wake Up Dead Man’
Religion News Service: The third installment of the “Knives Out” series examines the spiritual warfare within American Christianity and looks at writer-director Rian Johnson’s struggle with the essence of faith.

How a California ministry helps Gen Alpha find their voice
Religion Unplugged: In a small Santa Clara classroom at Mission City Church in Northern California, a group of students huddle together, their voices rising in harmony. Leading them stands Makayla Hannah, their vocal coach for Youth Utilizing Power and Praise.

In major shift, Mormon Church lowers mission age for women to 18*
The Washington Post: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said women who are 18 years old can now participate in its mission work worldwide, a shift 15 years coming.

The Spark

Potluck nation
Food in America is a living archive of exchange and adaptation, where “ethnic” cuisines blend and redefine what national identity tastes like, JSTOR says.

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