Month: November 2025

Honey Drop 22: The Chain and the Choice

eejoseph,

Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, (Philippians 1:12-13)

My chains are in Christ

Some chains are not chosen— 
but some are. 
Not all bonds are burdens. 
Some are vows.

He did not flee the cell. 
He filled it. 
He did not curse the chain. 
He consecrated it.

The comfort – the tension

The gospel is not hindered by walls. 
It echoes through them. 
The Word is not bound— 
even when the witness is.

Freedom is not the absence of limits. 
It is the presence of love 
that chooses to stay, 
even when it could run.

The drop

So let the chain be worn, 
not as shame, 
but as sign. 
This is the choice of Christ— 
to bind Himself to us 
and call it fullness of joy for himself and for us.

Honey Drop 21: The Bruise and the Balm

eejoseph,

Scenarissima (scene supreme)

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

Trauma accepted

He did not hide the bruise. 
He bore it. 
Not to shame the body, 
but to show the cost of peace.

The balm did not come in haste. 
It came in Him. 
Not to erase the wound, 
but to dwell within it.

There is a doctor on scene

Healing is not always sudden. 
Sometimes it is slow, 
like mercy moving through muscle, 
like grace growing in grief.

The drop

By His wound we are healed
not just in story,
but in soul.
The bruise remains, 
but the balm sings.

Honey Drop 20: The Shell and the Shout

eejoseph,

Irrepressible vocal witnesses

“I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” 
Luke 19:40

Some praise is stored, 
not suppressed. 
Like a shell holding sound 
until the sea returns.

The silence is not absence
it’s anticipation. 
The shout is not noise
it’s necessity.

Creation does not forget its Maker. 
It waits. 
It groans. 
It gathers breath 
until the moment erupts.

The comfort – the tension

Even the stones
those still, speechless witnesses
are wound tight with worship. 
And when the king comes, and humans hush
they will not hold back.

The drop

So let the shell split. 
Let the shout rise. 
Let the hidden hallelujah 
find its voice.

Honey Drop 19: The Mirror and the Mercy

eejoseph,

“Her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much.” 
Luke 7:47

In the company of storms

She saw herself clearly;
not because the room was bright, 
but because Mercy had entered it.

The mirror was not the law, 
but the look in His eyes. 
Not the record of wrongs, 
but the recognition of love.

Warning up the frozen

She did not flinch. 
She wept. 
She did not flee. 
She poured.

Mercy does not distort the truth. 
It deepens it. 
It does not excuse the past— 
it embraces the person.

The drop

This is how love sees: 
not less clearly, 
but more kindly. 
And in that kindness, 
the soul remembers who it is.

Honey Drop 18: The Thread and the Thorn

eejoseph,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 
2 Corinthians 12:9

Thorns and Roses

There is a thread that does not snap 
when the thorn presses in. 
It does not fray when prayers go unanswered, or rather, when the answer is grace.
The thorn is not the failure of love, 
but the form it sometimes takes. 
It humbles the hand, slows the stride, teaches the soul to lean.

Tandem, tension, treasure

Power, we thought, would look like triumph. 
But it came cloaked in ache, 
perfecting itself not in our strength 
but in our surrender.

So we boast—not in the thorn, 
but in the thread that holds. 
Not in the wound, 
but in the grace that weaves through it.

The drop

Perfection and Power do not parade in strength;
they whisper through Weakness and Wishing. 
This is the apostolic witness: 
grace, sufficient and strong, 
threaded through the thorn.

Honey Drop #17: The Shadow That Shines

eejoseph,

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” — Psalm 23:4

The scene

Few people expect the valley to last this long. The diagnosis comes and goes, but the dread lingers. The calls slow down. The prayers feel thin. Yet in the quiet, something shimmers — not escape, but presence.

The comfort – the tension

The tension is in the shadow — not full darkness, but the outline of it. Comfort doesn’t come from the absence of fear, but from the nearness of God. The valley isn’t skipped; it’s walked through.

Dropping honey

The valley casts a heavy shade, 
But still I walk, unafraid. 
Not by light, but by the hand 
That holds me firm where shadows stand.

Even the shadow will shine, 
When and where the King is mine.
The fear may whisper, death may loom,  
But love has carved a brighter room.  
And in that hush, I learn to sing:
The shadow shines when held by the King.

Honey Drop #16: Seasoned Speech and the Soul of Salt

eejoseph,

Verse: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” — Colossians 4:6

The scene

Disciples do not hesitate to speak. They speak, they season with grace.  Their silence is not for choosing the right sound. They bring forth no blame, and every word felt reflects remembered grace. Disciples don’t just speak — they season, spicy, unhurried, loudly or softly, always strangely strong.

The comfort – the tension

Speech without seasoning is noise. But salt isn’t just flavor — it’s identity. The tension is in remembering that our words are not just tools, but signs of who we are. Comfort comes when we speak not to win, but to witness.

The honey drop

To distil the sweetness: 
Salt speaks. It preserves, purifies, provokes. It’s the signature of the disciple — not loud, but lasting. Seasoned speech is the soul’s offering: gracious, grounded, and glowing with the quiet strength of one who knows they belong to the Way.

Seminal 20th century wisdom

eejoseph,

What book are you reading right now?

Selected Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I is a book that helped launch me decades ago into sober reflection of the essentials of African identity and helped me in my personal quest for spiritual guidance.  The book sparked my interest in international relations and saved me from going down the typical Rastafarian rabbit holes.

If you think that today’s leaders are  not much more than animals of partisan politics, you are right.  The United Nations and all the regional and other alliances are failing on account of the reasons suggested by the late emperor.