STEP ONE: BREATHE

Take a deep, cleansing breath. Allow the air to fill your lungs and expand your body. Exhale and empty yourself into the room. Repeat three times - once for the one who Created you, once for the Incarnate One who walks beside you, and once for the Spirit whose life fills your being.

STEP TWO: DWELL IN WORD

The Parable of the Fireflies :

The Kingdom of heaven can be compared to a summer’s evening just after the sun has set. Flashes of light suddenly appear against the violet sky. Random bursts of light shine here and there. Children will rush out with jars to capture the tiny fireflies with their magical bioluminescence. Watching the spectacle brings a joy that is at once elusive and heartwarming. Gleeful children chase insects as the sky darkens. Deep purple turns to black.

Jars with holes in the lids hold the captured bugs that crawl and fly about within the glass containers—unharmed by the incident. Later the thoughtful parents will demand that the fireflies are set free at the end of the night. For the time, however, the fireflies are contained and serve as a source of light within a homemade lantern.

Blink. Blink-blink.

As the children add fireflies, light increases. Each bug contributes to the overall illumination. The glow is at once magical and fleeting—organic and unyielding. Even though the bugs might be trapped in a glass cage, each tiny, yellowish blip pushes back against the night.

A Question to Ponder:

How might you be able to provide a little burst of light to someone who is in a dark place?

STEP THREE: PRAY

Gracious God,

burn within my heart with the flames of your compassion. Ignite within my spirit a passion for your life. Let me see by your light the truth of your love and care for all people. Illumine a space in the darkness of fear, prejudice, hatred, and separation so that I might be able to see a path toward peace, reconciliation, and hospitality.

Through Christ, Amen.