Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy -Exodus 20:8
The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath -Mark 2:27
As I return from vacation, I thought I’d share a few thoughts “on vacation” during this season of travel and time off. It should first be said, of course, that vacation is a privilege. I am thankful, as any of us who have this privilege should be, for the financial security that allows us to take time off.
For those of us with this blessing, vacation can be a chance to center down. It functions as a “break in rhythm of doing” as Howard Thurman puts it. We all require rest to keep going, but rest will also remind us that the world doesn’t sit on our shoulders. It will tune our hearts to God and give us a chance to listen, which is so hard in our busy lives.
Furthermore, taking ourselves to an unfamiliar setting can act as a reminder that things don’t always need to be routine. Using a different sink, sleeping in a different bed, or seeing different scenery out the window disrupts our ruts and expands our imagination. A new setting will help us evaluate our daily lives: what in an average day gives me life and what drains it? Where has my routine caused me to miss chances to serve others and love my neighbor?
Hopefully this time of year can be a reminder to more regularly break from busyness (and business). No one can be going constantly, and one or two breaks a year will simply not be enough to sustain our spirits. I believe that a weekly chance to center down is necessary to keep God’s vision in our sights, and daily moments of prayer, reflection, and centering will keep our imaginations expanded. If you can, let these times of rest inspire your regular life.
The idea of sabbath is a remarkable and revolutionary thing. I am astounded and amazed that Leviticus prescribes sabbath even for the land (Lev 25:4). Like land that has been overcultivated, we become a shade of ourselves without rest. Without rest the fruits we produce are not as abundant as they could have been. We can’t truly become who we’ve been made to be unless we find the time to rest in the presence of God.
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