A viral video of a mama bear trying to get her four energetic little cubs across a busy street brought a knowing smile to my face It was delightfully relatable to watch her pick up her cubs one-by-one and carry them across the road mdash only to have the cubs wander back to the other side After many seemingly frustrating attempts the mama bear finally corralled all four of her cubs and they made it safely across the road The tireless work of parenting symbolized in the video matches imagery used by Paul to describe his care for the people [... more]

In his poem ldquo Rest rdquo nineteenth-century minister John Sullivan Dwight gently challenges our tendency to separate ldquo leisure rdquo time from ldquo work rdquo asking ldquo Is not true leisure One with true toil rdquo If you want to experience true leisure instead of trying to avoid life rsquo s duties Dwight urges ldquo Still do thy best Use it not waste it mdash Else lsquo tis not rest Wouldst behold beauty Near thee All round Only hath duty Such a sight found rdquo Dwight concludes that true rest and joy are both found through love and service mdash [... more]