nswer of
all nature.

The hen sits long patient days on her nest. And forth comes cheeping
life in her own image, answering the call of her mothering spirit. The
mother-bird in the nest in the crotch of the tree gives her life day by
day in brooding love. And her wee nestling offspring, in her own image,
answers with glad increase of strength and growth.

Father and mother of our human kind give of their very life that new
life may come. And under the overshadowing touch of an unseen Presence
comes a new life made in their image, and in His who broods unseen over
all three. And over the life wrecked by sin broods the Spirit of God.
And out through the doorway of an opening will, comes a new creature of
winsome life in the very image of that brooding Spirit of God.

This is the holy commonplace of all life. It is the touch of God. It is
everywhere about us, and beneath and above. The father-mother Spirit of
God broods over all our common life. And when things go wrong, He broods
a bit closer and tenderer. He meets every need of the life He has
created. And He meets it in the same way, by giving Himself.

And there's always the response. The fragrance of the rose answers the
sun. The pipped shell brings the longed-for answer to the gladdened
mother-bird. The ever wondrous babe-eyes give unspeakable answer to the
yearning of father and mother heart. The heart of man leaps at the call
of his God.

This makes quite clear the wondrous response men gave Jesus when He
walked among us. Jesus was God coming a bit closer in His brooding love
to mend a break and restore a blurred image. And men answered Him. They
couldn't help it. How they came! They didn't understand Him, but they
felt Him. They couldn't resist the tender, tremendous pull upon their
hearts of His mere presence.

And Jesus drew man into the closest touch of intimate friendship. The
long-range way of doing things never suited Him. And it doesn't. He
didn't keep man at arm's length. And He doesn't. And then because they
were friends, He and they, they were eager to serve, and willing even to
suffer, to walk a red-marked roadway for Him they loved.

The Gospel According to--You.

Among all those who felt and answered the call of Jesus was one called
John, John the disciple. Jesus drew John close. John came close. John
lived close. John came early and he stayed late. He stayed to the very
end, into the evening glow of life. And all his long life he was u