In a capitalistic world view contemplation, rest, meditation, fasts, renunciation, critical appraisals, self-importance, doubts, questions and anything that antagonize the existing pro-consumeristic system are reckoned as threats and strong attempts are made to decimate them. We live in a society where we are demanded to excite and strain every nerve of our body to make us “efficient” (a term that suits machines more than humans).
Amidst this chaotic performance-oriented culture, to rest is an act of rebellion. Once we stop assessing our worth on the basis of performance, many corporate hegemonic powers would crumble. This seems to be the prime motive of Sabbath. As Dallas Willard remarks; “𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴; 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩? 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵.”
We have immoderately glorified restlessness. The emphasis is always on “doing” rather than “being”. Rest too often gets interpreted either as weird or indolent. Modern culture is so vicious that it convicts us for resting thereby instigating us to find ways to keep ourselves busy.
Christ was someone who rested well. He was extremely patient and never nosy. He invites everyone to this rest (Matt. 11:28). He taught us that faith is all about learning to sleep well in the stern when our life boat is being swamped by waves of uncertainty and hopelessness (Matt. 8:24). Unless and until we learn to be still we can’t know God (Ps. 46:10). This is why death ultimately makes all of us literally still so that God may finally start acting upon us uninterruptedly (Ps. 109: 29,30).
~ 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐨 𝐅𝐫. 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥
Urho, The Way 