Shows / Unfolding Light
Unfolding Light
Unfolding Light is a daily reflection (weekdays) by Steve Garnaas-Holmes rooted in a contemplative, Creation-centered, justice-oriented spirituality.
Episodes
- Unfolding Light
Anvil
What does the Holy One require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? —Micah 6.8 Go and learn what this means, “I…
- Unfolding Light
Gathering in
Winter approaches, and changes are at hand. Our gardens are bedded down. In come the patio furniture, the window boxes, the last flowerpot. The rake goes away…
- Unfolding Light
Buried talent
To one the overseer gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to their ability. —Matthew 25.15 A talent was a large measure of…
- Unfolding Light
Planting bulbs
Kneel. Dig deep. And a little more. Reach out and put your hands in the wounds, little graves, from whence they came. What is precious in you, full of beauty…
- Unfolding Light
The coming
Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. —Matthew 25.13 Scholars with furrowed brows will tell you the parable of the bridesmaids is a…
- Unfolding Light
Ego
Naaman came to Elisha to be healed but didn’t get the royal treatment he wanted so he turned away. How often does my ego get in the way of my healing? I…
- Unfolding Light
Soul
Crowds shift this way and that— schools of fish, mumurations of birds; politicians scurry, thrust and parry— some noble, some selfish; armies move; empires…
- Unfolding Light
Long haul
The bridegroom was delayed…. —Matthew 25.5 I will vote today, but nothing will change yet. The bridegroom of justice will not come tomorrow or next year…
- Unfolding Light
Oil or no oil
Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of…
- Unfolding Light
Second string saints
God, we praise you for all those subtle saints who have blessed our lives: for the parents who endured many a midnight for us, for the grandma who was often…
- Unfolding Light
Throne
The Emperor sits on his throne, lofty above the ground, untouched. The rest live low in the earth, related, woven, held, the minerals of life seeping in. His…
- Unfolding Light
Wisdom
Wisdom is trusting grace. We do foolish things because we’re afraid, (mostly of things that don’t matter) or greedy (mostly for what we already…
- Unfolding Light
The Beatitudes
These benedictions rise from certainty born of bewilderment, the confidence that life prevails above its final falling— that life endures not only death but…
- Unfolding Light
Masks
As the kids prepare their Halloween costumes I pray for the grace to shed my masks, to resist the temptation to appear other than as I am. I pray for the faith…
- Unfolding Light
Offering
What did the meadow say to the sun that made it lavish such light on it? What offering did the ocean make to convince the rivers to pour themselves into it?…
- Unfolding Light
Leaf fall
There are divers and drifters, spinners and twirlers. There are early adventurers and late hangers-on. Some fall in full color, some wait ’till…
- Unfolding Light
Bathsheba
We don’t hear from you, but I see you gazing out the palace window. Your silence roars. David had his private little comeuppance but you have had no…
- Unfolding Light
Clarity
God, Giver of Light, you who are the clarity at the center of all things, the truth that makes all things appear: Open my eyes. I confess: I am easily…
- Unfolding Light
Set it on fire
What if all you possess is the love of God? Pile up everything else— your goods, your reputation, your desires and opinions, your control over things……
- Unfolding Light
Blackberries
Thimble full of flavor, thumb print of grace, humble berry offered among sun and bumblebees, your thorns draw blood, love’s price, amid this blessed…
- Unfolding Light
Fork
Moses said to God: “If your presence will not go, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your…
- Unfolding Light
Following
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. —Matthew 9.12 I won’t tell you how to live. I won’t argue about what you…
- Unfolding Light
Not to Caesar
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. —Matthew 22.21 There is so much more to give to God than to Caesar. So much more. Not only Caesar…
- Unfolding Light
Haunted house
People often say they wouldn’t want to live in a house where someone had been murdered. It would spook them too much. Maybe one reason our nation seems…
- Unfolding Light
Woods, about 4:30
You walk among silent trees. Sun slants down, includes you gently without a word. All those thoughts and worries, worth’s calculations and predictions…
- Unfolding Light
Wrong king
The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. He noticed a man at the wedding who was not wearing a wedding robe…
- Unfolding Light
Marriage vows
I have marriage vows I keep. I follow them religiously. They are not rules I have to obey. They’re what my love looks like. I don’t force myself to…
- Unfolding Light
Party
They gathered all whom they found, both good and bad, so the wedding hall was filled with guests. —Matthew 22.10 The basic parable sounds like Jesus: the realm…
- Unfolding Light
Angel
You wanted God to come, radiant… but there was nothing. Then in an unguarded moment— you were gazing at something so purely as to be without desire—…
- Unfolding Light
Exhalations
Beloved, I sought revelation. When I look I do not see you, only your seeing me. • Nothing I say to you have you not said to me. • There is no great thing I…
- Unfolding Light
Broken, poured out
They are robed, educated, well-situated,who offer you the cup,but they received it from one who is suffering.Standing at the table saying“This is my blood”…
- Unfolding Light
Miracle
The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. —Exodus 14.22Did they run, nervous that…
- Unfolding Light
Cornerstone
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. —Matthew 21.42 (Ps. 118.22)The builders, mind you, will continue to reject it.The market will…
- Unfolding Light
Rebellion
Imagine, Jesus says,some rebellious vineyard workerswho beat the owner’s servantsand kill the owner’s sonto try to seize the business.That’s…
- Unfolding Light
Well
It doesn’t matter how faryou have to walk through the desert,how rough the bucket you bear.Go to the well of Goddeep within.There is a spring of pure…
- Unfolding Light
Wounded
Gentle One, you have wounded me.Your grace has pierced my armor.Your truth has clawed throughmy lies and illusions.Your love has shattered my defenses.The…
- Unfolding Light
By what authority
The elders said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” —Matthew 21.23Where does the meadowlark get its song?How dare…
- Unfolding Light
Equinox
The poor sun,knowing only its own brightness,has never seen shade,never witnessed darkness,knows nothing of nightand its gentle cloak,doesn’t know how an…
- Unfolding Light
Foggy goggles
In the marketthey give you these gogglesyou don’t even realize you’ve got.They’re so you buy stuff and fit in.They give you the opposite of…
- Unfolding Light
Gallery
Worship is God’s art gallery.She sets out a few beautiful thingsto watch us come in our glory.We look at the beautiful thingsbut God gazes at us.We cover…
- Unfolding Light
The promise
God said, “I will make of you a great nation… so that you will be a blessing…. To your offspring I will give this land.” —Genesis 12.2, 7Oh, we…
- Unfolding Light
Angel of history
Geese draw a lingering line above you,in archaic script across the sky.They are saying something.You don’t need to know what it isfor it to give you…
- Unfolding Light
Manna
When they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of…
- Unfolding Light
Home
O Intimate Mystery,you are my home,spacious, welcoming, and nourishing.Give me grace to offer welcoming spaciousness to others.Trusting my belonging in you,I…
- Unfolding Light
Invitations
The latest scam is those emailsseemingly from a familiar friendinviting you to some unnamed event.If you’re tempted to open themit may be because…
- Unfolding Light
First day
To this one grief do not succumb at last—unlike so many losses, all that tearing,all the deaths of things that must be passed,the vital griefs from which you…
- Unfolding Light
Survivors
Around the fire at night,away from Moses,do you suppose they talked aboutthe terrifying miracle, what it was likeamid the sea, walking down there,remembering…
- Unfolding Light
Set it down
The student tries to walk gently and elegantlybut staggers. The teacher asks why.“Because my companion hurt me deeply.”“Ah,” says the teacher. “This much?”and…
- Unfolding Light
Red Sea
God, you have brought me through the Red Sea.I have walked between the waters of difficulty and dangerwith dry feet.I have looked back and seen the forces of…
- Unfolding Light
Labor pains
The whole creation has been groaning in labor pains. —Romans 8.22Creation is a whole, not a collection of parts. Forgive us for breaking you up into…
- Unfolding Light
See them
We think of them as nobody,whoever they arewe don’t want to see.They are invisible,the one at the intersectionwith the ragged cardboard sign,or off in…
- Unfolding Light
Creator prayer
You of the Great Breathing In: Aahh! We praise you.You of the Great Breathing Out: Yes! We thank you.You who swirl us in your interstellar dust: Alleluia! We…
- Unfolding Light
The guest
It is as ifyou came home and there he was,a stranger sitting in the room meditating.At first alarmed, then annoyed,and then resigned, you let him sit,because…
- Unfolding Light
Infinite love
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. —John 1.1 In God we live and move and have our being. —Acts 17.28Love is…
- Unfolding Light
Dragon
Sometimes I feel foreboding,as if a dragon is about to consume me:my failure or inadequacy, or my guilt.But the dragon is no danger—not to be slain, no, not…
- Unfolding Light
Dragon
Sometimes I feel foreboding,as if a dragon is about to consume me:my failure or inadequacy, or my guilt.But the dragon is no danger—not to be slain, no, not…
- Unfolding Light
Member
“Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” —Matthew 16.25No part of a bodycan surviveoutside the…
- Unfolding Light
Holy ground
In the curling incense smoke of his accentthe guide says never mind all the other sites(and there is competition from many sites, in many accents),this is…
- Unfolding Light
Creation
O Holy One, your Word has been from the beginning,and all things have been created through your Word.You have spoken us into being, the words of your love.We…
- Unfolding Light
God forbid
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must be killed. Peter took him aside and said, “God forbid it, Boss! This must never happen to you.” —from Matthew…