Rhythm

February 4, 2023

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” —Exodus 20:8

This Saturday is almost over. It’s been a bit slower for me than many. After rising and working out, I built the fire in the stove, had breakfast, and took time to read and pray. Then the phone rang. A neighbor’s pipes froze and somehow knew I have a torpedo heater, so she called. With two feet of water in her basement, she needed more than a heater, so she called the fire department. I joined Linda for a high school basketball game while waiting for her basement to get pumped out. A bit of plowing, dinner, and now I’m writing. It’s been an odd way of honoring the fourth commandment.

The heart of the day’s work was unexpected, but got me to thinking on how easily we rationalize away this commandment. Whether it’s Saturday or Sunday, we tend to fill our weekends with activity, crowding out any time we might have for reflection and rest. I don’t think our frenetic activity is helping us much. It’s almost as if we believe God’s work would grind to a halt if we slowed down for a day. We’ve focused on what we do for God instead of who we are for God, to our detriment. 

On the other hand, there are plenty of people who ignore the rest of this commandment:

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work…” Our bureaucratic and welfare state has made it possible for people to live without ever lifting a finger to actually work. In some places, this mentality is generational, passed down from parent to child to grandchild. While some would decry this as laziness, I think the greater damage is to self-esteem and dignity, neither of which is possible when one is always on the receiving end. Being able to contribute is a matter of belonging. 

There is a balance here that we often miss. Those blessed by the ability to work can miss the blessing of rest, while those who never work miss the blessing of labor. Today was supposed to be a rest day; perhaps it will be tomorrow. The rhythm of life continues. Work and worship, rigor and rest. I’m looking forward to the latter.