Silent suffering swirls around us, and within us: from grief to the anguish of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Psalm 88 does not let that suffering go unnoticed. And the family of God cannot either.

Perhaps it’s the size of a heart, not a person, that matters most.

One of the most famous stories in all the bible is a parable Jesus told. But it’s not just an object lesson about helping others in need. Jesus is rarely that simple. He pushes us to overturn our narrow categories and experience a transforming love that can heal a divided and hostile world.

There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: A right time to hold on and another to let go.

The Israelites wanted God now. But trying to control and manufacture God’s presence rarely works out well. Go “back to Sunday School” with a classic story of impatience, idolatry, and the mystery of God.