Month: October 2026

            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 of God is a banquet—a party!—
and in particular a party celebrating faithful love.
And everyone is invited, good and bad.

The add-on sounds like Matthew,
allegorizing 1^st Century history,
and dialing back Jesus’ radical inclusivity:
many are invited but some are rejected after all.

So Jesus says it’s a party,
but Matthew says some are not dressed to party.
Like maybe they have on business attire like Matthew’s,
instead of party clothes,
because they’re here for something other
than to celebrate God’s amazing love
that includes both good and bad,
both well-dressed and not.

So. Are you ready to party?

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
Listen to the audio recording:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:15 — 1.7MB)

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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—
someone like an angel
appeared as if having emerged
from that very Thing,
translucent but real, solid—
and, before you could speak,
vanished into you,
and is still, like ocean waves,
always surging in, and always,
as beneath those waves,
unseen, surging out.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
Listen to the audio recording:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 0:49 — 1.1MB)

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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” they are quoting
those whose it is.
The peace and comfort are misleading:
on that original night, doom hung over the table;
at Emmaus it was traumatized hearts that came to;
on the beach he shared breakfast
with souls still pulling themselves together.
The bread is broken among those who are not whole;
the cup is poured out in those who are poured out.
This is who he brings to the table with him.
When the Risen comes to us in the Broken
we can’t help but look around
and see the fracture that binds us,
the healings—so many—without which
we ourselves are not healed.
We rise from the table not to glibly praise him
but to find him, to serve him,
at last to heal him.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
Listen to the audio recording:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:26 — 2.0MB)

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