Give Me A Break
It's just after 10:00 PM, and I'm trying to write in my basement. Each strike of the keyboard is a struggle. I want to be creative and inspiring for the people who may come across my blog and to be honest; I want to be creative and inspiring for myself. Taking the opportunity to be creative is life-giving, so I'm choked that I have very little to offer to the world for encouragement. I've let myself down. But I know precisely why I can't do this work. My favorite quote from Terminator 2 comes to mind, “I need a vacation…”
I'm tired. I know my unfinished projects, and I know I have a list of emails that require my attention. My watch also reminds me that I'm a human being and humans need to rest.
Fatigue is creativity's Kryptonite.
Long work stretches put blinders on our abilities to see beyond the immediate. A tired me is one that's switched onto low power mode and conserving the energy I have to get by and survive.
The worst impulses in my life and character have the opportunity to creep up from the soil of my spirit when I'm tired. Not only that, but I end up being less present for my family and less creative and motivated at work.
Working after a period of rest is another thing entirely. Most writers will tell you that their best writing happens in the morning. When I wake up in the morning, my brain has permission to become more open-minded, optimistic, wise, and childlike.
There are powerful forces in our world that want to claim your morning. Not literally, but some pressures will demand you give away your opportunity to rest and reflect. Now imagine a world that does not rest or reflect; what do we get? A world of endless conflict and little progress. A lack of rest is a consistent theme in the lives of marginalized communities. It's tough for anyone to get ahead if they only exist in survival mode. Dreaming about tomorrow is a luxury for those with the means to do so.
There's ancient wisdom in the idea of taking time off. Faith and science agree that rest is fundamentally important for making life work well. Rest is like a governor inside an engine designed to protect and prolong the life of the machinery. If you remove rest from your life, you and those around you will get hurt.
12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” - Deuteronomy 5: 12-15
The seven days in a week concept has worked well for humanity. It's another example of Faith and Science giving each other a high five! But if we're going to take the idea of time off seriously, I think the principle is more exacting than it appears to be on the surface.
It's easy for me to lobby for a day off for myself, but it's equally important that I live my life in a way that makes it possible for others to rest. The scripture I referenced not only directs me to rest- but to make space for others to find rest as well. That's the part that takes effort.
Rest is not a natural occurrence- rest is an achievement. I have a degree in theology, but I need reminding that the scriptures in the Hebrew Bible were not original to planet Earth. Other writings, ideas, and ways of life came before these words were recorded on ancient scrolls. The ancient world had no concrete concept of rest. It was a world driven by constant fear and insecurity about not having enough. "We can't stop now. We need to grow our market share, and we can only do this by pushing forward without stopping."
When the idea of rest appeared, it represented a challenge to the world of its time. I’d argue that it is equally relevant to our world today.
A hidden concept embedded in the idea of rest is generosity. Rest allows for the sharing of resources and time. It's a shift away from a world driven by the survival of the fittest to a way of life where all can thrive.
A life that thrives has the permission to imagine, dream, and create. We all deserve to have that, but in order to achieve it, we need to collectively…
stop…take a breath….and give each other a break.
Thanks for reading friend, may we all learn to slow down enough for us to all enjoy a steady walk through life.