Dear Reader,

As we sit embedded in the frost of this icy winter, we begin to hear in the distance the hopeful sound of birds chirping and to feel the warm sunshine that reminds us of the promise of springtime. It is a time that calls us to look forward with hope and to rejoice in the manifold blessings we are surrounded by every day.

Issue #48 of The Forum invites you in this time of anticipation and perennial change to take a moment to contemplate the small things in life – things that connect you to your community, to the past, to the world, and to God.

Consider the importance of community and making connections with those around you (Leon Rapoport, “Fruitless Success” and Julia Leonard, “Don’t You Forget About Me”), the beauty of God’s presence in worship (Alethia Diener, “Look Foul and Feel Fair: Why All Churches Don’t Need To Be Beautiful”), the significance of modernity (Dr. Charles Steele, “Three Cheers for Modernity”), and the rich use of symbolism regarding winter in art and literature (Campbell Collins, “A Harbor for the Winter: Art, Snow, and Suffering”), and many other insightful contemplations held within this issue of The Forum.

We hope you can take the time to appreciate the beauty of the snow this week, and that you can use this issue of The Forum to help you pass the time as you eagerly await the coming spring.

Enjoy the musings and prose,

~ Gray Turner, Editor in Chief