Weekly Outlook - Provoking questions; contradictory answers

Dear Outlook readers,  "The truth about stories is that's all we are." I first read these words from Indigenous writer Thomas King in college, and they have stuck with me. I now understand this statement as deeply theological. We are built out of stories. I believe God knows this — Why do you think Jesus taught in parables?  This belief is the driving force behind my work at the Outlook. I love that we are dedicated to telling stories in all their nuance and mundane glory. I love that, as an independent publication, we don't need a public relations team to approve our stories. While we rigorously edit and fact-check our work, we don't have to run it by legal. We just get to pursue good stories, faithfully. I was reminded of this power — the power of a good story — in the reporting of Patrice Gaines and the editing of Outlook Managing Editor Dartinia Hull for the article "Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery pays $718,000 debt in act toward reparative justice."  Last August, Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery broke its standard rules of practice by agreeing to take on the $718,000 debt incurred by a Black church. Why? Because the debt largely came as a result of the presbytery's actions in the early 2000s. After they made this decision in the name of reparative justice, an estate donation was gifted to the presbytery that surpassed the sum of the debt they agreed to pay. Was this a gift from God? Or, an institution not having to deal with the negative consequences of its actions? There are multiple perspectives on this, and reporter Patrice Gaines weaves them all together.  Leonard Bernstein once said, "A work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them; and its essential meaning is in the tension between the contradictory answers.” I wonder if this concept applies to well-reported stories, too. We do not offer answers, just perspectives and questions that we hope lead us into a deeper, more faithful conversation. In Christ, Rose Schrott Taylor Outlook digital content editor

Who was Robert and why do his rules rule? by Jim Slaughter Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery pays $718,000 debt in act toward reparative justice by Patrice Gaines Grief as innovation by Becca Messman Searching for Epiphany on holy and hellish nights by R. Shea Watt In case you missed it... The Gospel According to James Baldwin: What America’s Prophet Can Teach Us about Life, Love, and Identity Greg Garrett agrees with Baldwin on the questions that lead from bad faith to one based on wisdom and truth: “Who is God, who am I, what is sacred community, how are we supposed to live, why exercise faith?” Reviving Goodwill The school in Mayesville, South Carolina, once had a prominent space in the community’s heart. A group of alumni are working hard to renew its mission. — Dartinia Hull A Different Kind of Fast: Feeding Our True Hungers in Lent "While the reflection questions and content could be tailored to suit a small group, this is a particularly rich choice for individual reading for Lent this year," writes Amy Pagliarella. Ode to the vulture Andrew Taylor-Troutman invites readers to transcend an ominous image. Small is beautiful: Readers write We asked you to write about small, beautiful moments in 250 words or less. Here are some of our favorite submissions. Chicago pastors help the city grapple with flood of migrants ‘There’s already plenty of need present in this community,’ said one faith leader. The challenge is to make the situation work for both longtime residents and migrants arriving from the border. — Rebekah Barber