December 7, 2015
Reflection by Jane Hale
The wise and prophetic Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said that, “the meaning of Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath, we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It’s a day on which we are called upon to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation.”
If Sabbath is about being liberated to share in the eternal, then it has precious little to do with “doing” and everything to do with “being.” I’ll admit, I haven’t truly gotten the hang of this yet. But I will say that when I do stop to catch my breath, and look around, and pay attention, and appreciate all that is around me, I’m reminded of all the ways in which we are interconnected—each an integral part of this incredible creation, each an integral part of that which is eternal. Taking the intentional time to simply “be” a part of all of it, to rest in the sacred mystery of creation, reminds me why my actions matter when I’m back on the go!
God of Work and God of Rest, Teach us how to inhabit the sabbath. In our resting, help us to connect our doing with our being, and to connect our being with the sacred mystery of all of creation and with you. Amen.
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