The story has been told in a million different ways and times. A man goes on a safari. For reasons outside of his control, he arrives late and the expedition party is forced to leave without him. Unwilling to miss the opportunity, he hires a few guides to take him on an express journey through the bush to catch the group. For days they press ahead at a breakneck speed. On the fourth day of travel, his hopes are high. If his calculations are right he should be able to walk into camp just as they are putting dinner on the table. But as he walks from his tent, pumped for another day of running, his guides are sitting around the fire. It is clear they have no intentions of going anywhere today. The man is incensed. After all, he is paying them, but they refuse to move. With teeth clenched and veins popping from his head he asks them why they won’t move. With determination in their voice that clearly communicates this is not up for negotiation, they tell him for three days they have been driving hard. Now they must wait a day for their spirits to catch up.
Have you ever been there, running so hard to achieve a goal, to get things done, that it feels like you have left who you are behind? I know I have.
Sabbath invites us to take moments to rest and evaluate who we really are and what are our real priorities in life. We have the space to ask if the journey we are on is taking us to the place where we want to go.
Sabbath invites us to engage in practices that give life to our soul. That being said, many of us resist Sabbath because we have memories of being forced into silent drudgery. A day without laughter and play. Sabbath should be anything but. It is a day filled with life, love, beauty, fun, play, friends, laughter, things that bring life, clarity, and health to your whole being. It is a day to celebrate the fullness of God’s creation. As a parent, if Sabbath is a day your kids dread, you are doing it wrong.
So how do we do Sabbath? That is a question we will start to answer in the next post.
Have a great week!
Stephen