The prophet Hosea asks, “What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah?” Hosea seems exasperated with the people’s reluctance to do more, to change their ways, to trust more in God, and, above all, to love more. Sacrifice is good, but there’s something more. Burnt offerings are good, but there’s something more. Hosea says, “God desires love, not sacrifice. God desires knowledge of the Godself rather than burnt offerings.”

In our lives, too, there’s always something more, but do we want to do it? It’s easier to follow our routines with little thought to accomplishing something more. Teilhard de Chardin writes, “What paralyses life is lack of faith and lack of audacity.” We can short-change ourselves. Perhaps we’re afraid to make a mistake, or we’re timid or think we aren’t good enough.  Sometimes it’s just wondering, “What good will it do anyway?” And so we don’t try a new recipe or route. We step back and let someone else put forth the effort. We think, “There’s always tomorrow.” Today pray for faith and audacity and then do something.