Daybreak

October 7, 2018

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

The ancient Hebrews looked at life a bit differently than we do today. These words from the very beginning of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures reflect that different understanding quite well: “The evening and the morning were the first day.” Even today in Judaism, the day doesn’t begin at sunup, but at sundown. It begins in rest. I don’t suppose there’s much chance of changing our culture, but beginning our day at rest in the evening isn’t a bad idea, unless we cram our evenings so full that rest is not possible. Of course, that is exactly what we do. 

This weekend has been as stuffed full of activity as any I can remember. It’s all been good stuff, but it’s not been restful stuff, and tonight, I am grateful to finally be able to rest. People who study such things tell us that it only takes a few days of sleep deprivation to actually kill someone. I believe it. It only takes a single late night to throw me off track for days on end. It’s been dark for about four hours now. The new day has begun, and I am going to sleep. It’s a good way to start.