As the dawn breaks after starless wander, after black thrashing, after huddling cold spent blank, a lessening. A thread of thinnest gold. As the fire rages unconsuming holy in the brush, night rising guardian over nation beloved, falling furious to lick up Baal’s pride— meat, water, stones, and very dust— blazing into faith’s furnace where … Continue reading How the light comes

Sometimes the light hurts. Sometimes the light comes and we find we are not ready for its brilliance. The light exposes. We see our mess. We see our failures. We see our deep wounds and the things we tried to bury away and hide.  And others can see them, too.  We crave the light, but … Continue reading When the light hurts

Advent, Day 6 Once God came to Job,  that saint of suffering, and asked,  “Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness,  that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home?” (Job 38:19-20) We do not know the … Continue reading Listening in the dark

Advent, Day 1 The very first thing he gave us was light. The first words he spoke, his first recorded thoughts towards us, were poured into a black void.  “Let there be light.” A quick read of the creation account shows he did not invent the sun, moon, and stars until the fourth day. So … Continue reading In the beginning

Lord, When I look at my brother with anger in my heart, when I mentally tear down my sister with comparison, when I rush past the lonely, "sorry, don't have time," let the words of my children glide past unheeded, when I judge the choices of my neighbor but never listen to her story, when … Continue reading Redeemed

Above our noise, our wailing, our fists clenched, our castle ruins, demands, commands, lies, revenge, ceaseless war,       You hear each choking cry, receive our ragged requests laden with ignorance, collect our tears, look upon the wrecked world and do not turn away.     We pray for You to lean down, strike, … Continue reading Above

Some of my best moments in the last week:  I received a text thanking me for something I did, telling me what it meant, and encouraging me to continue serving.  Talking on the phone with a colleague about a stressful situation, I found my frustration and weariness building until she abruptly asked if she could … Continue reading How to build hope

For all who long for peace . . . He himself is our peace. He stood for storms ceasing crowds hearing blind seeing dead rising stone-throwers surrendering their rage. He cried out for love for our enemies forgiveness as a habit hate to find hope a desperate people to hear there is a way. He … Continue reading For all who long for peace.

I have a friend who is literally living a miracle. Her story overflows with one impossibility after another, with a picture of such extravagant grace you can’t believe it until you see her for yourself and just know its true. She glows with it. Someday soon she will tell her story and it will change … Continue reading Your story, a gift