I fell asleep while watching the evening news tonight--the 6:30 one. Really! All evening I fought it, knowing that I wanted to write a blog post. I kept falling asleep.
As I reflected on what I wanted to write, it came to me that, being Friday evening and all, the Sabbath was calling to me, literally and figuratively. Most religions recognize a day if rest. For the Abrahamic traditions this time recognized the rest which God took after creating our world. Eastern religions also have days of rest.
The days of rest were dedicated to quiet times that restore and reenergize us and renew our souls. They provided time to reconnect with loved ones and to read scriptures. When I was very young in the Midwest, stores weren't even open on Sundays. What a furor there was in the Bible Belt when that law changed. At the time, I thought it was silly; now, not so much.
For a number of years in midlife, I took a Sabbath. I'd sleep, pray, meditate, read spiritual books, and just before dusk, I'd walk two blocks to take a kundalini yoga class, often followed by dinner with a friend. I'd only eat simple foods that didn't require preparation. When I started my week, I did so with recharged batteries. I miss those days.
I can't tell you when I stopped observing the Sabbath. I never made a decision to stop. Somehow I just let one thing creep into my Sabbath and then another. Before I knew it, my Sabbath was gone, and I didn't even know it was gone.
I've come to believe that any practice that is common to many religious traditions is probably a good thing on a more Universal level. Like a Sabbath...If God needed to rest after working all week, why shouldn't I?
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