During Matt Williams’ career in television, he often heeded “a divine nudge.” The writer, who got his start at “The Cosby Show” and later co-created “Roseanne,” recalls lunching with a Canadian comedian. An inner voice told him, “Do this show with this man ... it will be a top 10 show.” The comic was Tim Allen. The ensuing sitcom was “Home Improvement.”

More recently, Mr. Williams felt a divine nudge to quit Hollywood. He’s launched a multimedia project titled “Glimpses,” a counterpoint to the darkness in the news. His new podcast and a forthcoming book focus on glimpses of God in everyday life.

“I’m talking about moments of grace, tenderness, unexpected compassion,” Mr. Williams explains during a Zoom call. “And yes, there’s horrible things happening, but in the midst of this darkness, there’s always a little flicker of light.”

He cites how the husband of an editor of his book flew with ex-servicemen to Poland, loaded a truck with medical equipment, and drove into Ukraine to teach civilians battlefield triage. Another example is Thomas Keown’s charity Many Hopes, which helps free children in Africa from injustices such as modern-day slavery. 

Mr. Williams equates the process of creation to prayer. During a podcast interview with playwright Father Edward Beck, they discuss how stories can “inspire and heal because they connect us with the loving vitality of soul in each of us, and make it conscious to us.” 

Mr. Williams says that the term “God” makes some fear that he’s going to start proselytizing. But his goal is to encourage his audience to tune out the algorithms of fear that fill our phones with gloomy headlines. One antidote is becoming attuned to the divine nudges to express kindness.  

“It’s the human BitTorrent,” says Mr. Williams. “It’s passed from one person to another to another.”