đ 'Heavy hearts that can only be healed by the grace of God' đ
Memphis police beating victim Tyre Nichols was 'a beautiful soul'
By Bobby Ross Jr.
It seems appropriate that Weekend Plug-in should be âLivinâ on a Prayer.â
Thatâs especially true this week as Bon Joviâs classic single topped 1 billion views on YouTube. As Christianity Todayâs Kate Shellnutt put it, âOo-oo he's all the way there.â
Enjoy the music as we get down to business, reviewing the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.
What to know: The big story
Tyre Nichols: In Memphis, Tenn., loved ones celebrated the 29-year-old police beating victimâs life â and called for reforms â Wednesday at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church.
âWe have come with heavy hearts that can only be healed by the grace of God, full transparency, accountability and comprehensive legislative reform,â the Rev. J. Lawrence Turner said, as reported by the Commercial Appealâs Lucas Finton, Katherine Burgess and Laura Testino.
The funeral featured messages of faith from Vice President Kamala Harris and the Rev. Al Sharpton, Religion News Serviceâs Adelle M. Banks notes.
Grief and goals: RNSâ Banks talks to faith leaders about Nicholsâ death.
At Christianity Today, Russell Moore writes that âScriptures denounce officials who abuse their authority to harm rather than protect the people they serve.â
âNo excuseâ: As a teen, longtime Memphis minister and politician John DeBerry Jr. witnessed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.âs final speech before his 1968 assassination.
I interviewed DeBerry about Nicholsâ death:
âI think it is a systemic issue and that it is not a new issue. While we focus on violations of law and protocol and civil rights, and we especially focus on it when it crosses racial lines, this is especially concerning to a lot of us because all five of these officers (charged with murder) are Black.
âWeâre concerned about the level of violence, the level of malice. They tased him and pepper-sprayed him and then beat him to death. There is just no excuse for it.â
Power up: The weekâs best reads
1. Faith and fraud: âAn alleged $500 million Ponzi scheme preyed on Mormons. It ended with FBI gunfire.â
With this story, the Washington Postâs Lizzie Johnson finishes what slain Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German started.
âIt was an honor to do this reporting â to honor Jeff German and complete his work,â Johnson says. âI'm proud that his story lives on.â
2. Nikki Haley for president: South Carolinaâs former governor, who served as President Trumpâs ambassador to the United Nations, will challenge her former boss for the GOP nomination.
Religion figures heavily in an in-depth profile of Haley by the Post and Courierâs Jennifer Berry Hawes, Avery G. Wilks and Caitlyn Byrd:
As a child, Haley felt the stares when her family walked into the areaâs restaurants, her father wearing a turban, her mother in colorful saris.
When other families flocked to First Baptist and Trinity Methodist churches, the Randhawas were not part of the strong social networks that Sunday worship provides, especially in South Carolinaâs small towns. The family practiced the Sikh faith; they had a room in their house for worship.
People in Bamberg didnât know what to make of the strange new arrivals.
3. âGroundhog Dayâ: Thirty years have passed since the 1993 release of the classic film starring Bill Murray.
Religion News Serviceâs Bob Smietana writes that the movieâs âBuddhist-infused message ⌠still holds spiritual power.â
Switching from the film to the Feb. 2 holiday, Tabletâs Maggie Phillips explores âGroundhog Dayâs Christianâand pre-Christianâroots.â
More top reads
Psychedelic churches in the U.S. are pushing the boundaries of religion, according to The Associated Pressâ Michael Casey. ⌠Churches supporting former Southern Baptist Convention president Johnny Hunt are under inquiry by SBC oversight group, The Tennesseanâs Liam Adams reports. ⌠Busted pipes and busted budgets: Church Law & Taxâs Matthew J. Branaugh explains how houses of worship can fight back against winterâs hidden risks. ⌠For the Jewish News Syndicate, Menachem Wecker details how a Jewish football coach helped merit chip away at Harvardâs elite social status. ⌠New Jersey abuse survivors say the Catholic Church has failed to disclose hundreds of cases, NewJersey.comâs Deena Yellin and Abbott Koloff report. ⌠The Washington Timesâ Mark A. Kellner has produced multiple stories from this weekâs International Religious Freedom Summit. ⌠Finally, the National Catholic Reporterâs Vatican correspondent, Christopher White, is covering Pope Francisâ six-day trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
Inside the Godbeat
Hayden Royster profiles former World magazine editor Marvin Olasky for Religion & Politics.
One thing hasnât changed, as Royster explains: Olasky âstill wants to make journalism biblically objective.â
Charging station: ICYMI
Here is where you can catch up on top ReligionUnplugged.com content.
âWhat may be the most important development in American religion and politics over the last few decades is the growing emergence of the âGod gapâ â the contrasting religiosity between Republican and Democrat voters. This reflects how the parties have seemingly polarized on matters of religion.â
Thatâs the intriguing peg for a think piece by Ryan Burge.
Not everyone endorses Burgeâs take: Religion News Serviceâs Jack Jenkins complained on Twitter about the characterization of his book, âAmerican Prophets.â
The final plug
As we close, a reminder that thereâs always a religion angle â even when two emperor tamarin monkeys go missing from the Dallas Zoo.
Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.
Bobby Ross Jr. is a columnist for ReligionUnplugged.com and editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 15 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.