{"id":24291,"date":"2025-08-21T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=24291"},"modified":"2026-02-09T08:29:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T14:29:04","slug":"the-signs-of-these-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2025\/08\/21\/the-signs-of-these-times\/","title":{"rendered":"The signs of these times"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You know how to judge the appearance of the sky,<\/em>
but you cannot judge the signs of the times.<\/em>
\u2013Matthew 16:3<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"smog
Photo by Isaac Quesada<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The smog is thick, the water murky
Each day moods are shifty<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now we wonder if clarity is myth
Is consistency a scam<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategic plans fell out of fashion 
Chaos creeps like cancer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe the era of fairness
Aged out with analog phones<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And of course there\u2019s more to deplore
yet few protest, most opt to stay indoors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swiping sorrow and fear 
Squirrelling away heartache<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The smog is thick, the water murky
yet the holy hovers in our cells<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reminding us to bless, reach, eat
Sit down with friends and listen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To stories, memories, lessons 
To deep human wisdom<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sages say that simplicity will save
And quiet calms all nerves in time<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trees and fungi forage our futures
Again we sit down and listen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the hush we catch our breath 
And hear the whispers of saints<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They tell us to receive all grace 
To let grace become our body<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The body inhales fresh clear air,
drips sanctity, hopes, rebuilds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little by little we become all new
Little by little we are one body<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Woman
Photo by Myles Tan<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Read more by this author<\/a> and more modern prayers<\/a> at our web site<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You know how to judge the appearance of the sky,but you cannot judge the signs of the times.\u2013Matthew 16:3 The smog is thick, the water murkyEach day moods are shifty Now we wonder if clarity is mythIs consistency a scam Strategic plans fell out of fashion Chaos creeps like cancer Maybe the era of fairnessAged out...","protected":false},"author":4071079,"featured_media":24296,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2178641],"tags":[698755374,18215,27291,1099,19831,273111],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-24291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prayer-and-spirituality","tag-community","tag-grace","tag-injustice","tag-nature","tag-pollution","tag-signs-of-the-times","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/julia-smog-isaac-quesada-7b8Tkk_zrNM-unsplash.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"

The signs of these times<\/a><\/blockquote>