Christianity | Harmonia's Emails

I Was Called: The Voice of Jarena Lee

Jarena Lee was born free in a land built on slavery. Denied a pulpit, denied authority, and denied permission, she preached anyway-because God called her. As the first Black woman officially recognized to preach in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, she traveled alone, broke barriers with fire in her voice, and left behind a legacy not of protest, but of obedience. This episode of The Golden Thread dives into her extraordinary spiritual authority, the radical clarity of her call, and what it means today to say yes when the Spirit speaks-even when the world says no.

Season 1

Episode 26

Religion

Christianity

Roger Williams and the Freedom of Conscience

Harmonia shares the story of Roger Williams, the exiled minister who refused to let faith become a tool for political power and paid the price for his convictions. In the frozen wilderness of colonial New England, Williams planted the radical idea of religious liberty-not as tolerance from the strong, but as a birthright for all. His courage created a haven for dissenters and laid the groundwork for true freedom of conscience.

Season 1

Episode 22

Religion

Christianity

Rufus Jones: The Quiet Light That Moved the World

In this episode, Harmonia invites you into the gentle yet world-shaping life of Rufus Jones, the Quaker thinker and activist whose quiet conviction helped make equality, peace, and compassionate service feel like common sense. Through moments of silence, acts of conscience, and the founding of the American Friends Service Committee, Rufus Jones showed what can happen when one person trusts the light within, even before the world is ready to see it.

Season 1

Episode 21

Religion

Christianity

Clara Barton and the Grammar of Mercy

In this episode, Harmonia recalls the life of Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, whose faith in action helped translate the quiet virtues of mercy, dignity, and impartiality into the public life of a nation. From war-torn battlefields to the creation of enduring institutions, Barton's story reveals how universal spiritual principles-woven into the fabric of existence-find practical expression in the hands of those who serve. We explore why these truths matter today, and invite listeners to reflect on their own role in carrying compassion forward.

Season 1

Episode 20

Religion

Christianity

A Quiet Refusal: The Story of Johann Nobis

In this episode of The Golden Thread, Harmonia invites you into the life of Johann Nobis, an Austrian Jehovah's Witness who quietly refused to betray his conscience in the face of overwhelming power. Through his story, we explore the spiritual roots of conscientious objection, the fragile progress of international law, and the living memory that keeps our deepest freedoms alive. This episode is a gentle meditation on courage, memory, and the small acts that help shape a more just and compassionate world.

Season 1

Episode 19

Religion

Christianity

"The Room That Waited"

At the base of Mount Sinai, a monastery has watched over memory for more than 1,400 years. In this episode, Harmonia returns to St. Catherine's - a quiet sanctuary where monks copied sacred texts through centuries of silence. But in the 20th century, a sealed room was opened... and what emerged was not just forgotten manuscripts, but a vision of how spiritual truth endures even when unseen.This is a story of memory, technology, and the light that waits beneath the page.

Season 1

Episode 16

Religion

Christianity

Brigid of Kildare: The Hearth Between Worlds

In this episode, Harmonia invites you to the glowing hearth of Saint Brigid of Kildare, where old traditions and new faiths entwined in a time of transformation. Discover how Brigid's radical hospitality and creative wisdom bridged pagan and Christian Ireland, turning daily acts of kindness into rituals of hope. Her story is a living lesson in adapting with courage, building belonging, and tending the fire of tradition even as the world changes all around us.

Season 1

Episode 11

Religion

Christianity

Makrina the Younger: Quiet Strength

In this episode, Harmonia invites you into the gentle dawns and shared labors of Makrina the Younger-eldest of the Cappadocian siblings, architect of a hidden sanctuary, and quiet force behind one of history's great spiritual families. Through loss and turmoil, Makrina's leadership shaped lives, healed wounds, and offered a new vision of faith rooted in daily acts of care. Her legacy is a living thread: an invitation to discover hope and resilience in the small, unseen moments that hold us all together.

Season 1

Episode 10

Religion

Christianity

Photios: Guardian of Memory

In this episode, Harmonia invites you into the candlelit halls of Constantinople to witness the life of Photios I-scholar, patriarch, and steadfast preserver of wisdom. Through turmoil, exile, and the fierce storms of authority, Photios guarded the fragile flame of faith and learning. His story is a testament to quiet resilience and the enduring power of memory, reminding us that even in the face of division, hope endures wherever truth is cherished.

Season 1

Episode 9

Religion

Christianity

Sisters in the Arena: Perpetua and Felicity's Courage

In this episode of The Golden Thread, Harmonia remembers Perpetua and Felicity, two young women in 3rd-century Carthage who faced the Roman arena with unshakable faith and unbreakable companionship. One a noblewoman, the other a servant, they stood side by side-mothers, friends, martyrs-defying empire with dignity that outlived their execution. Their story reveals not only the cost of integrity, but also the power of solidarity across class and status.

Season 1

Episode 6

Religion

Christianity