The sloth is a tropical mammal that lives much of its life hanging upside-down from tree branches. When obliged to descend to the ground, sloths crawl along a level surface at the rate of ten feet a minute (meaning their top sprint is one-ninth of a mile per hour).

Sloths are generally sluggish and inactive; they build no nests and seek no shelter even for their young. They sleep 15 to 22 hours a day, rising in the late afternoon to eat whatever leaves may be close at hand. Being so passive, they are virtually untrainable, although occasionally you'll find one working as a denominational official or on a roadside construction crew.

From time to time, a sloth hangs around my home and office, a discovery that has surprised me. I'm familiar with lots of my faults, but I never suspected this one. Up to now, I've been careful to whom I admit it.

I'm careful because sloth is our society's unforgivable sin. It is almost never mentioned. I can't remember the last time I heard ...