Posts by Matthew Peterson
The Timeless Resistance Of Kabir: A Cultural Movement For Unity And Justice

Kabir’s ability to transcend religious and social boundaries is why his poetry continues to resonate today, even 500 years after his death. According to legend, when Kabir died, both Hindus and Muslims fought over his body, each wanting to claim it according to their respective religious customs. When the shroud covering his body was removed, however, only flowers were found beneath, symbolizing the unity that Kabir’s teachings continue to inspire.

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Amid LA Wildfires, Houses Of Worship Serve Communities Devastated By Destruction

As flames continue to sweep across Los Angeles, the impact on local faith communities has been profound. Yet, it has also highlighted the spirit of generosity and solidarity among Angelenos. Many congregants, displaced by the fires, have found refuge in the homes of fellow members, while others have offered their properties at cost to help those who’ve lost everything.

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Joseph Smith And The Birth Of Mormonism Told Through Graphic Novelist Noah Van Sciver

(REVIEW) In “Joseph Smith and the Mormons,” Van Sciver has cautiously critiqued Mormonism and has earned that critique by the genuine effort to pursue empathy and the effort to understand what factually occurred. What it lacks in the brevity and accessibility which characterize most comics, it makes up for with its beauty and integrity.

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How A Legendary Church In Sleepy Hollow Stays Faithful In A Halloween Mecca

Along the Hudson River, about an hour north of New York, is a church perched atop a hill in a village called Sleepy Hollow. When Washington Irving immortalized the Old Dutch Church with its Headless Horseman in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” it became a literary mainstay. For 300 years, the ghost who haunts the churchyard has frightened people. These days, a new force distresses the locals.

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Cosmic Comics: 3 Graphic Novels Highlighting Faith That Are Worth A Read

(ANALYSIS) In the company of endless superhero comics and Japanese pirate manga lives a delightfully sizable population of religious graphic novels. This is fitting, as perhaps the oldest comics are religious. Regardless of intention, what do ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics read like if not a comic strip? Here’s a look at three stories that touch upon faith.

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Samaritan’s Purse Deals With Hurricane Helene Recovery In Its Own Backyard

The Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, no stranger to reducing tremendous suffering and damage in communities all over the world, has had to find a way to help others as well as themselves. In fact, once Hurricane Helene robbed millions of Americans of their electricity and running water, the focus had to become more local.

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Why A California Artist Has Made It Her Mission To ‘Paint God’s World’

Maureen Gaffney Wolfson opened The Maureen Gaffney Wolfson Fine Art Gallery in December 2023. Though it may have originated from heartbreak, her paintings are full of color, light, and, perhaps most critically, the divine. “I started painting out of heartbreak,” said Wolfson. “It was therapy for me. Then it became a hobby. Then it became a career.”

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Fast Food’s Quest To Feed Body And Soul During Lent And Beyond

Fast food aficionados and practicing Catholics alike are often familiar with the Filet-O-Fish story and how the sandwich was born as a result of Lent. Catholics aren’t the only religious group chain restaurants cater to because of faith and dietary restrictions. Here’s a look at some of the biggest menu options from around the world.

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Punk for The Pious: How Major Religions Tackle The Music Genre

(ANALYSIS) If punk music is about being countercultural, then religious punk is, perhaps, the most punk of all. In an increasingly secular world, to deviate from secularism is to embrace the outcast mentality. The rebels of today, it seems, are those pitting themselves against a purely material reality.

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Ghost Hunters Take On New York City’s Spookiest Spirits

What should a New Yorker do should they come across a ghost? In other words, who you gonna call? The answer is Scott Orlansky, the lead investigator of Ghost Bros.: Paranormal Research Team, that’s who! Ghost Bros. is based in the the Big Apple and is run by Orlansky and his brother Justin. 

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