Milk in the Mashed Potatoes

CT posted an interview with Alexandra Pelosi, who put together a new documentary, The Trials of Ted Haggard, which debuts on HBO Thursday night (8 p.m. Eastern). Interesting piece … here’s an excerpt.

“I’m not a really religious person. We consider ourselves to be Catholics, but we think of it more as a cultural thing. But what I love about Ted’s story, at least about Ted’s family, is that the Bible got them through. They read the Bible. They would read these passages, and it moved me. I went out and bought a new Bible. When I was making Friends with God, everybody quoted the Bible, but I was never inspired to go buy one. But this experience with Ted turned me onto the Bible in a whole new way, because he would read these passages and it would really inspire me.

“People might come away from this movie being a little anti-church, but it makes you really pro-Bible. It makes you really pro-God in a way, because you read these things in the Bible and you’re like, wow.”

As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda
By Catherine Claire Larson (Zondervan, Feb. 1, 2009)

It’s said that reality is stranger than fiction. In the case of Rwanda’s people, it’s also more gruesome. Catherine Claire Larson, a writer and editor with Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship, sets out to add to the litany of works about Rwanda’s genocide with As We Forgive.

Inspired by a documentary by the same name, Larson retells seven stories about the genocide and its aftermath (some of which are in the film). What’s even more amazing is the miraculous way some victims are working toward reconciliation by forgiving their perpetrators — many of whom have been released from prison and are even helping victims rebuild their homes and lives.

It’s a portrait of grace of divine proportions, but it’s still difficult to read. Students of psychology and those passionate about social justice will find this to be a practical companion to the film. The book also includes practical features like a map of Rwanda, a timeline of the events, organization listings and steps toward reconciliation on a personal level.

–Cara Davis

Today I’m thankful for:

• New starts and fresh beginnings
• Being able to put away the baby and my cough syrup today
• A friend who’s been healed and is having a baby on Friday
• The school board’s decision to revert the system’s hours back to the original (meaning Jeff will get home earlier in the day again)
• Our full hearts, satisfied bellies and comforted bodies on big, soft beds …