Welcome to The Light, your quiet hour of reflection.
Kirk Franklin reminded us this week that joy is not a private matter. Moving through Jennifer Hudson's spirit tunnel with his whole body, the gospel artist seemed to embody the very title of his new album, I Am What I Am — an unapologetic declaration that delight, freely given, is itself a form of praise.
From celebration to something quieter and more searching — Tarris Reed Junior, a rookie center for the San Antonio Spurs, was baptized just days after making his NBA debut. He posted the moment simply, under two words: Jesus Saves. At twenty-three, he wrote of moving from wanting nothing to do with the Lord to now desiring to live for him. A young man stepping into two arenas at once.
And from the earth itself, a sobering reminder of interconnection — vulture populations, nature's patient custodians of decay, now face the threat of bird flu. These birds quietly eliminate the pathogens that would otherwise spread through our shared ecosystems. Losing them, scientists warn, could cost us more than we yet understand.
That's this hour's reflection. Carry the light gently.
