Welcome to The Light, your quiet hour for reflection.
Fifty years ago, a piece of legislation passed through Congress that its author called his greatest achievement — the Hyde Amendment, which restricted federal funding for abortion. Half a century on, its supporters say it has preserved millions of lives, while its critics say it has fallen hardest on those with the least.
From one contested legacy to a present-day question about faith and public life — Secretary Hegseth announced a new Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs, opening with verses from the Psalms. Secularist voices raised concern about the separation of church and state, while a Catholic archdiocese offered its blessing. Where the sacred and the institutional meet, the conversation is rarely simple.
And then, gently, the natural world reminds us there is still wonder to be found. Scientists have identified a new species of sea spider — those strange, ancient, almost otherworldly creatures that breathe through their legs and carry their young on their bodies. Life, it seems, keeps finding new shapes.
That's this hour's reflection. Carry the light gently.
