Time off

For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Moland-Kovash's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and blog content. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.

In the summer we usually make a pilgrimage of sorts to visit family in Minnesota lake country. I generally think at least once on such a trip—usually while sitting in a boat in the middle of a lake—“I wish I could just stay here forever.”

Rest and vacation are good things. In that space, I am easily lured into thinking that if only we lived somewhere else, life would be different—more exciting or more restful, more laid back or more interesting. Whether vacation brings you to the big city or to a lakefront cottage, it’s an alternative to the everyday experience. But it’s not reality.