Rest & Refreshment

How many here are Type A?  Work hard.  Accomplished.  Get a lot done.  Productive.  Success driven.  It certainly tends to be the American way.  Admittedly life in Italy, and other European countries, is a bit more rational with time to savor meals, and less pressure of the clock, more vacation, more emphasis on time with family and friends, time around the table.  But very many of us, myself included, push ourselves to get things done, to complete the lists, to be productive or successful or …

In our gospel today Jesus has the apostles gathered around him and they emphasized to him, probably complained about, all that they had done and taught, and he said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”  Notice that he said, “Come away…”  He invited them.  He took them.  He didn’t say go away and do this.  He didn’t give counsel and advice.  He modeled for them and led them.  Of course the rest of the reading today tells us that the people continued to follow him and went where he was and interrupted their respite.  But it does say that they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.  So they must have had some period of time away.

Jesus practiced what he preached.  He got away and took time for rest and time for prayer.  Read the gospel stories and be reminded how often the gospels say that Jesus retired to a deserted place and prayed, that he spent a night in communion with God, that he went into the desert for prayer and fasting.  Intentionally, and particularly at crucial times in his life.  He regularly found, or rather made, time for prayer, especially prior to crucial decisions and major events in his life.  And he taught his disciples that and modeled it.  We have similar messages in the Old Testament.  The prophet Isaiah tells us, “By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and trust your strength lies.”  Psalm 4 verse 8 that is included in our service of Compline (Nighttime prayers) says “I lie down in peace, at once I fall asleep, for only you, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

We have other examples in the lessons and writings of the great saints through the ages who taught us about prayer and meditation: Teresa of Avila, Francis of Assisi, St. John of the Cross.  Likely many of you have read their works, which are very instructional for us.  I commend them to you.

We are in the early days of summer vacation here in Italy.  I must confess that when I first started coming to Italy multiple decades ago, I found the idea of so much time off a little unusual. It is not the American psyche, or habit.  I remember my friend Annamaria, who was born and raised on the island of Capri long before it was the popular tourist destination that it is today, saying, “Everything closes in August.”  She is a doctor and professor at the University of Naples.  I asked, “What do you mean everything closes?  Who takes care of stuff, of things that happen.  Who sees patients in the emergency room?”  She said, “Nothing is open, no one is here.  Everyone is gone.”  Having lived here a good bit now, including being in Rome for August twice, I understand.  And agree.  And am convinced.

This is a good practice.  You all are about to begin your summer vacations, many if not most of you.  And there undoubtedly, as every Sunday here, undoubtedly are a number of visitors with us today who are already doing that, taking their time for rest and relaxation.  Vacationing in Rome and Italy.

We have to recharge our bodies.  Not just our physical bodies, but also our minds, and our souls.  It is key to our life, to a healthy life.  We need 6 to 8 hours of rest per night, we can’t go all the time; we need down time, vacation, rejuvenation.  Just like our bodies, our minds and our souls need that down time, that period of rest, relaxation, and recharging.

According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. The man laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.  Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, “Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bow implies.”

The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”

People are also like that. That’s why we all need to take time to rest. In today’s Scripture, Jesus prescribed time off for his wearied disciples after they had returned from a prolonged period of ministry. And in the Old Testament, God set a pattern for us when He “rested from all His work.”

When I was in my medical practice I used to close the door of my office during the ‘lunch hour’ to create a few minutes of quiet time and rest and to read Noonday Prayer, part of the Daily Office in our Book of Common Prayer.  It was such a refreshing practice.  The staff knew that if I had the door closed, they could interrupt me, especially if there was a phone call from the Emergency Department, perhaps a patient with a heart attack or some other critical or very important situation.  But they also knew that if it wasn’t really important and could wait, to hold it for just a few minutes.  I didn’t take long.  Five to ten minutes but it made a huge difference.  After that recharge I was in a better mood and could more adeptly handle the stress of the afternoon.  Life as an invasive cardiologist was a bit high stress.  There are lots of ways to do that.  The British have afternoon tea.  A time to stop and relax.  At the further end of the spectrum is Spanish siesta.  But whatever the form, whether it is short or long, we need to, we must, stop and refresh our bodies, our minds, and our souls!.

That concept is modeled for us in the first book of the Bible.  Remember the Creation story in Genesis that God rested on the seventh day….

But there is one other concept.  When we rest, when we vacation, when we ‘take time off’ we are not just resting, we are sharpening our saws physically and figuratively.  You may be totally resting, or reading a book, or exercising, swimming or running or walking or visiting ruins or historic sites, but likely doing something to profit from your time off.

There is a story that one man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had.

“I don’t get it,” he said. “Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did.”

“But you didn’t notice,” said the winning woodsman, “that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest.”

“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”  Good counsel for us all.  Enjoy your holidays.  Perhaps sharpen your saw.  And don’t forget to occasionally say hello to God while you are gone.  You might just find God there listening, and helping you sharpen your saw.

Amen.