After a long, contentious, and at times, exhausting election season, we designed this month’s issue thinking our readers will want a respite from politics. As important as it is to participate in our electoral process, and as much space as we’ve given this year in the magazine to choosing our next president, our lives are much more than our politics. We hope the stories in this issue are a reminder of that.
I’d suggest starting with Rabbi Meir Soloveichik’s commentary, “A Reflection on Time.” Soloveichik is senior rabbi at Congregation Shearith Israel in Manhattan, America’s oldest Jewish congregation, and writes about one of the singular rituals of the faith: the lighting of candles during Hanukkah. As Soloveichik notes, the ritual is a reminder of time, how quickly it passes, and what truly endures. “We are asked to ponder what lasts more than a moment, what aspects of life are truly enduring,” he writes.
I’d also recommend Steven T. Collis’ essay “Habits of Peacemakers.” Collis is a law professor, but he’s spent the past four years researching the qualities of peacemakers. He’s found particular characteristics we can all emulate, and two habits that are particularly resonant around the holidays, when fraught political topics often come up: spending time with people doing anything other than talking about hard topics and achieving some sense of inner peace.
And finally, I’d recommend two features by staff writer Ethan Bauer. The first is a remarkable story about a group of strangers who helped a man escape his burning vehicle this April near St. Paul, Minnesota. What makes a stranger risk his or her life to save someone they never met? We sent Ethan to Minnesota to track down the survivor and those who rescued him to find out. What Ethan learned writing “Trial by Fire” might surprise, and inspire, you.
The second feature chronicles the story of an American soldier held in a Nazi POW camp during World War II. It’s also the story of an unselfish act, during a time of suffering and crisis. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s worth a read, and I hope it will renew your faith in humanity.
As I read this month’s issue, I looked forward to the holidays and the spirit they bring, of healing, of peace and thinking of others, especially the less fortunate. I hope you can read these stories beside a crackling fire, or with a hot cup of cocoa, and that for a brief moment at least they can warm the heart.
This story appears in the December 2024 issue of Deseret Magazine. Learn more about how to subscribe.