SOJOMAIL & VERSE AND VOICE FROM SOJOURNERS: UK King Charles and a wannabe king 30APR26

 

By Betsy Shirley Editor in Chief, Sojourners This week, King Charles III became the second British monarch to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress. The irony was thick: The king used his speech to praise the virtues of democracy to a country that, 250 years ago, leveled a laundry list of grievances at Charles’ own five-times-great grandfather. Meanwhile, the White House released a photo of Charles and President Donald Trump captioned: “TWO KINGS.” When kings praise democracy and presidents style themselves as kings, it’s easy to just laugh bitterly at the ridiculousness of our present political moment. But as José Humphreys III writes in his latest column, ignoring these feelings of bitterness primes us for resentment and even a longing for vengeance. Instead, he suggests an alternate strategy for finding relief. Elsewhere this week, a church brings dementia out of the shadows, a Broadway musical considers joy amid the pain of miscarriage, and film critic Zachary Lee explores why space films like Project Hail Mary move us to awe. Plus: a Wheaton professor/manga superfan considers why that cartoon pirate flag you may have seen at protests can be an inspiration to Jesus followers. I Won’t Let Resentment Determine Who I Become (by José Humphreys III) What Nelson Mandela’s life can teach us about healing and liberation. Read the full article Advertisement Our Latest Stories A Musical About Miscarriage and the Strange Work of Joy (by Jim McDermott) “The depth of the grief shows the depth of the love,” Shaun Benson, co-creator of ‘My Joy Is Heavy!’ told Sojourners. “You don’t have the one without the other.” Read more My Father Has Alzheimer’s. A Church Became Our Refuge (by Courtney E. Martin) America is getting older. The need for a public awakening around dementia and Alzheimer’s is only going to get bigger in the years ahead.  Read more From Artemis II to Cinema, Why Are We Drawn to Space Stories? (by Zachary Lee) ‘Project Hail Mary,’ ‘Prometheus,’ and four other films that bring the “Overview Effect” down to Earth. Read more From the Magazine: The Manga Jolly Roger That Became a Global Protest Symbol (by Chuck Liu) Why the messianic pirate hero of ‘One Piece’ is a lot like Jesus. Read more Advertisements Catholic Charities: Neighbors Helping Neighbors When neighbors help neighbors, hope blossoms. For more than a century, 169 Catholic Charities agencies have served communities across the country and down the street, no matter beliefs or differences. Be the hope around the corner — in your neighborhood, nationwide. Learn more and volunteer at PeopleofHope.us. Serve as a Jesuit Volunteer in the Pacific Northwest Where will next year take you? Use your skills to make a real difference. Live in a community passionate about faith and justice. Rise to this moment. Become a Jesuit Volunteer. Learn more about a service year in the Pacific Northwest at jvcnorthwest.org. Forward this email to someone you know who would like it! Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday. Verse of the day Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. - Colossians 3:9-10 Voice of the day To know // the spirit is my beloved. To come to things—swift / as a ray of light, or a look. / To live as I write: spare—the way / God asks me—and friends do not. - Marina Tsvetaeva, “I am happy living simply” Prayer of the day As we work toward a better reality, may we approach you and one another with honesty. Advertisement Our Latest Stories My Father Has Alzheimer’s. A Church Became Our Refuge (by Courtney E. Martin) The need for a public awakening around dementia and Alzheimer’s is only going to get bigger in the years ahead. Read more A Musical About Miscarriage and the Strange Work of Joy (by Jim McDermott) “The depth of the grief shows the depth of the love,” Shaun Benson, co-creator of ‘My Joy Is Heavy!’ told Sojourners. Read more Christian Zionism Helped Bring the Right Together. Now, It's Driving It Apart (by Rubin McClain) MAGA and Zionist Christians’ failures have been laid bare for an opportunity to chart a new path. Read more 20 More Bible Verses For President Trump to Read (by The Editors) And, ideally, reflect on, after he kicks off the week-long event “America Reads the Bible” with 2 Chronicles 7:11-22. Read more Advertisements Legacy finds common ground in African wisdom traditions Legacy: Wisdom of African Traditions and the Bible compares almost 300 African proverbs with Bible verses. Discover: African expressions of the golden rule, African versions of loving one’s enemies and welcoming the stranger, and much more! Finding common ground has never been more urgent. African idea of sankofa—“go back and get it”—tells us that we can go forward by looking to the past. Unfiltered conversation about faith: God Talk with Medene & James When millions of us are disaffected from the faith we grew up with, God Talk provides honest, unassuming dialogue. Public theology in the service of fellowship, social justice, and self-actualization. Medene - a Black Catholic with Pentecostal roots, James - a gay Catholic from the farm. Join the conversation! Let's talk. Donate Subscribe

Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842

MAY DAY / LABOR DAY VERSE AND VOICE FROM SOJOURNERS 1MAI26

 

Forward this email to someone you know who would like it! Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday. Verse of the day So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith. - Galatians 6:10 Voice of the day Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are. - Hasfat Abiola Prayer of the day You who labor in love, surround the conditions of your workers with protection and inspire us to do the same. Advertisement Our Latest Stories The Catholic and Quaker Walking 90 Miles in the Name of Kindness (by Emma Maple, FāVS News) Inspired by Buddhist monks’ walk for peace, two best friends are traveling across Washington state. Read more The Devil Is Real. He Lives in Betting Apps (by Colin Martinez Longmore) Lately, I’ve been thinking that the story of Jesus in the wilderness is about testing your luck. Read more From Artemis II to Cinema, Why Are We Drawn to Space Stories? (by Zachary Lee) ‘Project Hail Mary,’ ‘Prometheus,’ and four other films that bring the “Overview Effect” down to Earth. Read more My Father Has Dementia. A Church Became Our Refuge (by Courtney E. Martin) The need for a public awakening around dementia and Alzheimer’s is only going to get bigger. Read more Advertisements Legacy finds common ground in African wisdom traditions Legacy: Wisdom of African Traditions and the Bible compares almost 300 African proverbs with Bible verses. Discover: African expressions of the golden rule, African versions of loving one’s enemies and welcoming the stranger, and much more! Finding common ground has never been more urgent. African idea of sankofa—“go back and get it”—tells us that we can go forward by looking to the past. Unfiltered conversation about faith: God Talk with Medene & James When millions of us are disaffected from the faith we grew up with, God Talk provides honest, unassuming dialogue. Public theology in the service of fellowship, social justice, and self-actualization. Medene - a Black Catholic with Pentecostal roots, James - a gay Catholic from the farm. Join the conversation! Let's talk. Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842