Loon's linkage (March '11)

• Jim Miller offers a poignant and balanced review of Rob Bell's Love Wins.
• Someone named Rebecca Stringer has a few tips on how to help a grieving friend.
• Jamie Smith highlights a key distinction between the task of becoming an "author" and the craft of becoming a "writer."
• Peggy Rosenthal astutely explains why working for justice is best done with joyful creativity rather than grim desperation.
• David Swanson has begun a series of posts sharing lessons he's learned about planting multi-ethnic churches. Part 1 looks at asking "stupid questions" while part 2 discusses building relational networks.
• Michael Patton serves up an intriguing cartoon comparing the way Christianity's origins differ sharply from those of other religions.
• Laura Bramon Good offers helpful reflections on how to truly combat the "crime du jour" of human trafficking.
• In light of tsunami devastation in Japan, Tim Stafford observes why video footage of a natural disaster can be far more frightening than any Hollywood depiction.
• Gideon Strauss urges civic-minded Christians to consider turning from fast to "slow politics."