You must build your life as if it were a work of art. Abraham Joshua Heschel
Want To Live – Digital Sabbath Series – Part 1
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6
“For where shall the likeness of God be found? There is no quality that space has in common with the essence of God. There is not enough freedom on the top of the mountain; there is not enough glory in the silence of the sea. Yet the likeness of God can be found in time, which is eternity in disguise.” from ‘The Sabbath‘ by Abraham Joshua Heschel.
We’re not Jewish, and previous to now, our only experience with the idea of “Sabbath” was setting aside Sundays for Church.
There are a few traditions that practice a Sabbath day, and for Jewish people, it begins on Friday night and concludes Saturday evening. No work is to be done; the day is set aside for rest and worship. In his book, “Sabbath as Resistance” Walter Brueggeman said:
“The Sabbath rest of God is the acknowledgment that God and God’s people in the world are not commodities to be dispatched for endless production and so dispatched, as we used to say, as “hands” in the service of a command economy. Rather they are subjects situated in an economy of neighborliness. All of that is implicit in the reality and exhibit of divine rest.”
Compelled and inspired by writers such as Heschel and Brueggeman (and the spirit), and having suffered through our experiences of burn-out, depression and rat-race compliance, Sabbath (especially as a form of resistance) is something that we’re exploring and seeking to practice in our lives.
And for Jesse (husband), his first “Sabbath act” is this:
On Friday nights, as the sun goes down, I switch off all my devices – power them down – and they remain that way til sundown on Saturday evening. I live disconnected to the digital and on-demand connection to the world outside of my own home for 24 hours.
It was hard at first. I kept casting anxious glances towards my Apple Mac and phone that sat cold on my desk. “What if someone needs me?” my mind would ask. I couldn’t seem to remember how we communicated in the times before smart phones and MacBooks… (here’s to remembering).
Fighting the separation anxiety from ‘doing’ and ‘digital connection’ is part of the detox of ‘Screen Sabbathing.’ But the benefits, on the other hand, are plenty and fulfilling.
The Ancient Hebrews practiced Sabbath-keeping to remind them that subduing the earth, while considered a victory, could turn on them and become a defeat. When work consumes you, you lose sight of that which is most important: being. They practiced the Sabbath; ‘to rest as if all your work is done, even if it isn’t.'
I want to live a life of design. Deliberate. Intentional. Not a life dictated by the expectations of our culture. I want to think deeply about the world. I don't want to live on autopilot, pushed and pulled in the direction that the world (society, culture, consumerism, politics… and dare I say, religion) demands from me. I want to live honestly and authentically. Life at rest in the Divine.
Intentional. Present. Aware. I want to drink up the moments in front of me. The ones I have the privilege of witnessing and participating in. Friends, family and strangers. Creating enough space for generosity, kindness, love, hope and faithfulness.
Will you join us? Send your thoughts and questions to talktous@pktfuel.com
Or leave us your comments below.
Go to Part 2 of our Digital Sabbath series »
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