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William Cowper, a poet who battled depression and wrote 68 hymns, including "O for a Closer Walk with God" and "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood," also nuzzled lagomorphs. He wrote this of his furry-footed companion:

Yes—thou may'st eat thy bread, and lick the hand
That feeds thee; thou may'st frolic on the floor
At evening, and at night retire secure
To thy straw couch, and slumber unalarm'd;
For I have gain'd thy confidence, have pledg'd
All that is human in me to protect
Thine unsuspecting gratitude and love.

This unsuspecting gratitude and love—in a warm, buoyant animal body, its lavishly soft fur marked by the fingerprints of its Maker, its antics so otherworldly as if to promise that there's more of that in another place—tips the scales toward the Preponderance of Evidence, plopping me back on my knees.

And a strange mirth rises in my chest.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Agnieszka Tennant's previous columns include:

What Would Jesus Buy? | Saving the world one cashmere sweater at a time. (Jan. 31, 2006)

Agnieszka Tennant's previous articles include:

A Hard Pill to Swallow | How the tiny tablet upset my soul. (Nov. 8, 2005)

Ragamuffin | The patched-up life and unshabby message of Brennan Manning. (June 4, 2004)

'Jesusy' Anne Lamott | Chatting with a born-again paradox. (Jan. 8, 2003)

The Ultimate Language Lesson | Teaching English may well be the 21st century's most promising way to take the Good News to the world. (Dec. 6, 2002)

Possessed or Obsessed? | Many Christians say they are in need of deliverance but some may be giving demons more than their due. (August 24, 2001)

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April 2006, Vol. 50, No. 4