21 October 2022 |Wokingham, England. [Michael Pearson]
I don’t keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath keeps me!
That’s not just playing with words. It’s the truth.
The Sabbath keeps me from being on a treadmill of activity 24/7.
The Sabbath used to keep my mind off work for a day. Now that I am retired, I don’t have to think so much about problems at work and money-earning… but there is still a lot to be done to keep the show on the road: a home to be maintained, shopping to be done, arrangements to be made; obligations; expectations; worries.
The Sabbath allows a reset.
That has a knock-on effect.
One is that it keeps me from greedy consumerism. It keeps me away for a while from the lure of attractive websites and out of retail shops. The Sabbath means I do not shop till I drop.
That has a knock-on effect.
I realise that having more stuff may block my emotional aches and pains for a while, but it does not really make me happy. If my mind is not focused on acquiring more stuff, then it has a little energy left to think about other things. That could be the real needs of friends and family. Just as important, it could be sorting out a bit what my own priorities in life are for now. It could be that if I sort myself out a bit, I don’t have to burden others so much with my own nonsense.
That has a knock-on effect.
It means healthier relationships and a reduced likelihood of stress in the family. As we slow down, we can have a little time to do that serious talking and caring which we may never otherwise quite get to. If you give your family some time, you give them a chance.
That has a knock-on effect.
If I consume less, if I am not consumed with anxieties, I can do my small part in keeping this wonderful, fragile planet of ours in better condition. Every time you see the havoc caused by a freak weather event, you are reminded that we are spoiling the earth and need to consume less. It’s what my grandchildren expect of me.
‘Knock-on effects’ – that’s partly what keeping the Sabbath is about. Taking a regular pause from the relentless cycle of modern life is a healthy thing to do. It helps you to breathe. The Sabbath trickles into everything, every day of the week. Sabbath rest is part of the rhythm of a healthy life cycle. It helps you keep things in proportion. It helps you know where you are. It’s more about being than having.
And there inevitably comes a day after you have been on the treadmill of life for a while when you start to ask the ‘What’s it really all about?’ question. The Sabbath can give you some perspective on where you are, where you’ve been and where you’re going. It’s like a hilltop which allows you to see into the distance. And, of course, it raises the God question. Is God there? Does God care? What’s God doing? What’s God like? What’s it to do with me?
There’s nothing clever about keeping the Sabbath. There are no ‘brownie points’ on offer. You don’t achieve anything. That’s the whole point.
The Sabbath slowly builds up your inner strength so that you can resist the strong pressures we are all under nowadays. It helps build up your resistance to diseases of the mind and spirit. Of course, it’s not all straightforward. It’s not magic. But each Sabbath is a step towards maintaining balance in life. It helps us to filter out all the false messages which bombard us daily.
So let the Sabbath keep you! Join the resistance movement!
Mike Pearson gave 42 years of ministry at Newbold College of Higher Education, serving at various times as Head of Theological Studies; as Director of the MA Education and Leadership programmes; and for a time as vice-Principal. On retirement he was appointed Principal Lecturer Emeritus.
‘Sabbath Resistance’ was first published in Focus Magazine under the cover title of ‘Google, what is Sabbath?’ (Vol.42 No.2) published by the Stanborough Press. [Lead photo: Shutterstock]
