Amy Andrews: Futile originally meant leaky or full of holes, and hence vain and useless. It is so easy to see our lives as futile, full of holes – all our work and love continually leaking out and being lost. But as Christians we are meant to live with another vision. Someone once said we should not so much think of the risen Christ, but of Christ rising. Imagine it! What we do today is not futile, because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Freedom does not mean doing what we wish, but living in such a way – as stewards of the world – that we participate in this rising. So let our work and love leak out – yes! – and flood all the earth.

Jess Griffith: Flooding this earth with our love and work makes me think of those 40 days and nights of Old Testament rain, the earth apparently lost under all that water. But it was not lost, just waiting, soaking in the endless rain, before emerging as a new creation.