Help us, O God, to build a world In which human beings are valued Not for their output but for their sacredness, For the way they bear the image of the Divine. In a land of long hours and scant pay, Scanter still for those who pick our food While we sit in our cool offices, Grant us all holy rest, O God, That we might take up the work of restoration Until the words of our prayers have become reality: “On earth as it is in heaven.” Amen.
BY CAMERON BELLM
From the Editor We have a complex relationship with rest. Culturally, we are told that working hard, not complaining, and putting your head down is the way to get ahead. Due to our socioeconomic reality, rest is only available to the affluent. In ministry work, the amount of hours we work or how far we push ourselves is a marker of how committed we are to the mission. The cost of not resting is dramatic: mental health issues, physical sickness, high job burnout, anger, resentment, lack of creativity, and many times a drift away from purpose and values. We at IPJC are not immune to this struggle and have been asking the question, “How can we build a culture of rest?” I have always struggled with rest, and I know I am not the only one, as many folks and communities that do mission-centered work also struggle with rest. We care deeply about the work we do, so much so that we struggle to step away. On my journey of learning to rest, I have discovered the problematic “suffering servant” mentality that I have been indoctrinated by, as well as my own inflated sense of self-importance. I must intentionally challenge these mindsets in order for me to create space for sacred rest. 2
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When I rest, I am better at all things, which is a way of saying I am more truly who God has made me to be. As Richard Rohr put it, I have the space to “return to myself.” Rest allows us to heal, to experience new ideas and experiences, to gain perspective, to sustain the difficult and tiresome work of social justice, and ultimately, to connect with God in more profound ways. In this issue of A Matter of Spirit, we learn how cooking can offer rest, especially in a Filipina kitchen. We consider the transformative power of rest and the ways that it leads us to a more generative and expansive relationship with God. We hear a vulnerable and courageous story about the reality of disability and the ways that our cultural resistance to rest causes exclusion and harm. We learn about the beautiful Jewish tradition of shabbat and how it provides a model, structure, and theology that builds rest into its practices. And, finally, how our struggle with sleep as a culture impacts our health and well-being. We hope this issue can serve as an invitation to consider that rest is sacred and the act of resting is resistance. —Will Rutt, Executive Director