I’ve suggested that Christian Century readers might be reasonably good miniature golf players. Many followers of the Century are people who do not take themselves too seriously, which happens to be a virtue in mini-golf. They’re focused, but not to the extent that they believe they have to come out on top of every situation. I’ve met many who have limited patience with poor journalism, extreme ideologies, and irrelevant ideas. That impatience translates well into playing mini-golf.

Take, for example, the long plastic drain pipe that’s built into one or more holes of practically every mini-golf course. You have to putt your ball through that pipe at just the right speed or else it gets stuck in the middle or, worse, flies off far into the distance. But first you have to get the ball into the pipe. After five missed attempts at even getting your ball into the pipe, your teammates invite you to skip the pipe altogether and just place your ball on the far side. In other words, they’ve practiced a version of forgiveness, something I’d like to think is a hallmark of Century readers.

If you’re impatient with the religion coverage you find across much of social media, and the shallow ways that religion gets imported into politics these years, step up and make a gift to The Christian Century today. We’re here for you and we need you to be here for our work.

Click here to make a gift to this non-profit journalistic ministry. Only with your generosity can we maintain the good writing and reporting you’ve come to expect. If it’s been too long since you’ve made a gift to the Century, don’t worry. We practice forgiveness. But please step forward right now to help this ministry flourish.