Rest as Resilience

In our busy, overscheduled culture, few of us would say we get enough rest. Yet, rest is a commandment, not a recommendation, for Christians and Jews. God’s commandment to rest is a direct response to the slavery the Israelites experienced in Egypt, and it is important to find ways to remember that life is more than labour. 

I have recently returned from a three-month sabbatical designed to rest. I spent some time learning and building my skills, so that, upon my return to work, I would have more strategies to work smarter, not harder.

But some of my time was spent creating mental, emotional and spiritual space by failing to produce, or producing something entirely different. I prayed the Daily Office four times a day, every day. That is a lot of unproductive time. I volunteered with Little Bits Riding Academy (therapeutic riding centre), to use my body more than my mind to care for other people (and horses). The point was to, as the poet Wendell Berry says, rest in the grace of the world. Sabbatical, like Sabbath, reminds us that the world turns without us. We are not slaves to production. God delights in us simply for who we are, not for how much we do.

Your work may not have sabbatical provisions, though I urge you to check. A surprising number of union contracts allow for such a thing, with sufficient planning. Sabbatical rest resists the pull of productivity, which says we aren’t enough unless we produce bricks without straw. Even if extended time away just isn't possible, I pray you find a way to practice rest in a way that reminds you of your infinite worth to God, regardless of your productivity.

I am grateful for the Continuing Education Plan of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Sabbatical Trust of the Diocese of Edmonton and the leadership of Good Shepherd for supporting this time of rest. I hope you, too, can find such rest.

 The Ven. Jordan Haynie Ware is the rector of Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Edmonton and the Archdeacon for Justice.