When you look at the artwork above, you see three candles. You’d almost certainly notice the differences between them. But if you were casually shown any one of these candles on its own and asked, “What is this an image of?” you would answer without hesitation: “A candle.”
But really…
The first candle isn’t a candle at all — it’s black and white, shaped from nothing but 1s and 0s. Recognizable, but abstract, more symbol than substance.
The second candle feels closer. There’s color, shape, even the suggestion of flame. Yet when you pause to look closely, the detail is missing. It’s incomplete. The third candle glows with warmth and clarity. It’s whole, detailed, undeniably real.
That is the way we often see reality. Sometimes we claim something is real when there’s nothing to support it. Sometimes we believe something is true because it mostly looks the way we’d expect — or because it feels close enough to what we already believe. But the goal isn’t to settle for “close enough.” It’s to see clearly and know what is actually true.
On The Ponder Podcast, we practice looking deeper, noticing what doesn’t fit, and building the discernment to tell the difference between what only looks true and what is real.
Listening in Order Matters
The Ponder Podcast is designed around Arcs—short episodes that build on one another. To get the most from the journey, start with Arc 1 and follow Episodes 1–6 in order; they lay the foundation for everything that follows.
Start with Arc 1 (Episodes 1–6).
Follow in order if possible—each episode connects the next.
After the first few arcs, later arcs can be explored more freely.
All platforms carry the same episodes, though some list them from newest to oldest. For the best experience, start with Episode 1 and follow them in order — that’s where the foundation begins.
If you have trouble finding The Ponder Podcast inside your preferred app, just use the links above — each one takes you directly to the correct podcast home page.
