Vocation.

A vocation need not be learned at vocational school. A week ago, Jennifer Mascia noted for the New York Times that “while there may be a dearth of federal dollars going into gun violence research, journalists are attempting to fill the gap.” Mascia refers to a Cleveland, Ohio publication’s database of shooting deaths, though her own post is part of that project.

A few weeks ago, Ana asked me where I’d choose to work if I knew I’d get any job for which I applied. I said NPR, thinking also of PRI and Vox and Syria Deeply and anyone and everyone else seeking out and publicizing information thoughtfully, intentionally, and thoroughly. Journalism. That’s a key element of “gospel,” isn’t it? You can’t tell what’s good without telling what’s bad, and vice versa.