Early pregnancy tests.

Gender reveals.

How to sleep comfortably.

Prenatal nutrition.

Diapers.

Cribs.

Strollers.

How-to books.

…

Oh, and wonder. 

Awe and wonder.

Sure, millions of babies are born every day.

But every single one is nothing less than a miracle.

This weekend we’ll hear how pregnant cousins Elizabeth and Mary came together for a visit.

And how quickly they cut through the chit-chat to sing of the sacred: the human body reproduces, the human soul cries out in praise.

Oh how good it is to go deeper.

And we need deeper.

Instead of asking, ‘How are you?’ ask, ‘What’s your story?'

Instead of, ‘How was your weekend?’ try, ‘What was the favorite part of your weekend?'

Instead of, ‘Where did you grow up?,’ ask, ’Tell me something interesting about where you grew up?’

Instead of, ‘What do you do?,’ try, ‘What drew you to your line of work?’

This holiday, when the brief, shallow, and superficial suffice, may God help us break the surface, plumb the depths, not be content with weather and sports, but see and reflect the depth that dwells in every soul we’ll meet.

Too often we live in the shallows - when the Sacred dwells in the depths.