Welcome to The Light, your quiet hour of reflection.
In Moscow, the weight of war is beginning to show in ways that can no longer be concealed. For more than four years, Vladimir Putin has shielded his capital from the true cost of the invasion of Ukraine, keeping festivals alive and daily life seemingly undisturbed. But catastrophe, as history reminds us, does not stay hidden forever.
Across the world, power moves in urgent and restless ways. President Donald Trump canceled plans to attend his son's wedding this week, returning to Washington as negotiations with Iran teetered on the edge of collapse, and the possibility of new military strikes hung quietly in the air. Diplomacy, it seems, never rests, not even for family.
And in Iran, a quieter story, though no less heavy. A Christian woman was sentenced to nearly ten years in prison after authorities raided her home and seized her Bible and Christian literature. She was charged with crimes against state security. What she held in her hands was a book. What she faces now is nearly a decade behind walls.
These are the tensions of our moment, power concealing its costs, decisions made in haste, and faith treated as a threat. That is this hour's reflection. Carry the light gently.
