“Be opened” are the perfect words to follow into a few days of retreat. Jesus spoke them into the ears of a man who could not hear or speak. The interesting thing is that he spoke these words, “Be opened” just after a Syrophoenician woman challenged his notions of who was important and who wasn’t.
Just because Jesus and the disciples seldom achieved time alone for rest and renewal, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t heed Jesus’ direction. My intention is to take better care of my whole self and not wait until my body protests with extreme fatigue before finding rest. Imagine how the church and the world might change if we made rest and renewal priorities for ourselves and all those around us. If we paid a living wage for all jobs so people could take paid time off… If we had universal healthcare so everyone could have their physical and mental health needs met… If we made social security and disability payments above poverty…
Rest. Relaxation. Renewal. Restoration. These are enticing words. I often associate them with summer. During the summer season I tend to believe there really is more time and a slower pace to life. And every summer at about this time I realize that it is simply not true. The world does not slow down or … Read More