| Good words from Moltmann on work and rest and the fullness of life. It is in the rhythm of the times and the alternation of work and rest that we find the pulse of life. That is the spirituality of the lived life. Whatever the mystics sought in solitary inwardness as the seventh step in the soul's union with God can be found simply and naturally on that seventh day. According to the Jewish idea, on the seventh day Queen Sabbath enters Israel's families and unites God's Shekinah with the eternal God himself: the Shekinah being God's indwelling in his people in its wanderings in the exile of this world. That is the primal biblical image for the soul's 'mystical bridal' with God. I found it interesting that Moltmann previously points out that prior to the command to rest there is the command to work: "six days you shall labour." That is the fullness of life. We become whole as we enter into all of life - work and rest is a must. There is also the beauty of the image of God's people living within the movement of the world as wandering exiles. The world around us may live in one way, but we will live another way. It is in the living of the day-to-day that we find ourselves within the depths of what is holy and there we find what a gift life can be. That rhythm is not something we fall into naturally. It must become a discipline. We must seek it out and follow its beat and dance within its flow of life. Thinking about being a wandering people in the wilderness, this sabbath command is like the one about the manna. We would - if left up to our own ways - grab hold of more than enough and store it away for ourselves. And yet, the discipline of this holy community is to take enough - enough is enough and all will have that when we are people who care about the ebb and flow of life within the community. This spirituality is no mere personal, individualistic journey. It is a corporate adventure. Connection: Finding what is enough and how to rest within the movement of our work is not always easy - it is always necessary, though. Presence and Eternal God, as you dwell among us continue to shape us with your breath of life that we will be free to live in you alone. Amen. |
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