CHICAGO, IL (February 12, 2016) — Many Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos with one another that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Each Friday we post five of them. Following is a sample of those submissions—their inclusion does not represent an endorsement by the Covenant of any views expressed.

Why Lego’s Wheelchair Minifigure Is Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
This is the kind of thing that most of us would probably never think about, and then when it’s done, we become aware of our own blind spots. Lego has released a new wheelchair minifigure, and it’s receiving all kinds of accolades.

From the article: “Kids use play to learn about and interpret the world in which they live. So I’m thrilled that Lego finally has a figure in a wheelchair that can be part of childhood play. And I’m thrilled that an activist group such as Toy Like Me lobbies manufacturers to create toys of kids and adults with various disabilities and adaptive equipment.”

Valentine’s Day, the Church, and Single Awareness Day
When did being single come to mean less than? It wasn’t in the early church, but somehow it has come to be a condition that needs to be “fixed.” Churches would do well to be aware of the expectations they sometimes put on those who are single.

From the article: “But what is so unfortunate about Feb 14th falling on a Sunday this year, is that many (most) churches have gone beyond celebrating marriage and family. For the past several decades we’ve all but idolized it….You need to know, chances are there are a lot of people in your church who have seen this day coming for weeks, and they might even be dreading it.”

U.S. Exonerations Hit a Record High
Finally, more people are recognizing that mistakes in the justice system don’t happen just every now and then, and more importantly, they are willing to do something about it.

From the article: “There were 149 known exonerations in 2015, where the exonerated defendants served on average more than 14 years in prison, said the report from the National Registry of Exonerations. That topped the previous recorded high of 139 in 2014.”

Michael Jackson’s Bubbles in Ape Retirement Community
Who knew there was a retirement community for celebrity apes? Sure, you’re surprised, but are you surprised it’s in Florida? Among Bubbles’s fellow retirees are Oopsies from “B.J. and the Bear,” Ripley, who spit water on Kramer in an episode of “Seinfeld,” and Tango, an orangutan who used to do judo in the Tang drink commercials before starring in “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” The Center for Great Apes actually serves a wonderful purpose because it gives animals that would otherwise be in cages a place to roam.

From the article: “An adolescent chimp is a strong and stubborn animal. An adult chimp is an unwieldy beast. Trainers tend to retire chimps at 8 years old, but since captives can live until age 60, some working chimps spend their 50 years of retirement in cramped cages. After captivity, they can’t be assimilated into the wild. In the wilderness, you don’t get treats for tricks.”

The Surgeon Will Skype You Now
Surgeons now often sit at a console across the room from the patient to do their surgery. In the future, doctors might perform surgeries on patients across the ocean. That is, if you can make sure the Internet connection is good or that it doesn’t get hacked.

From the article: “In 2010, 86 percent of prostatectomies were done with robots, and they are used to operate on hearts, kidneys, gallbladders, and ovaries. In 2012, 450,000 operations were done with robots.”