I am having a rest after a very busy Easter, but like many people in my profession, I feel guilty about taking time off — I know it’s not logical, but I still feel guilty. The American theologian Eugene Peterson begins his book, The Contemplative Pastor, with an illustration from Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick. The boat is chasing the whale and all around is a whirl of noise and chaos. Captain Ahab and his crew are pursuing their quarry with intention and zeal. 

But at the centre of this maniacal commotion, one man sits still and quiet. He is the harpoonist, the one who is charged with shooting the creature. He will have one opportunity, and he must not miss. So he sits still while everyone else charges around. He waits, poised. His most significant moment must come from a place of stillness. He must act from a point of rest. Although, ultimately, the quest fails, Peterson notes how stillness is prioritised above busyness.

Rest should not be a luxury, yet it can often feel that way. Or else it is the reward we allow ourselves for working hard. And yet most of us recognise that we work better, make wiser decisions and have fewer arguments with our friends and loved ones when we are rested. We find that, like Melville’s harpoonist, we become more attentive and alert when we are still. Land is more productive if it isn’t over-farmed; seas teem with life when they are not overfished. 

Everyone and every created thing needs rest. Sabbath time, or a significant amount of resting time, is not our reward: it is vital to existence. As the writer Anne Lamott neatly puts it, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” God is even more generous – offering a whole day.

Rest is not simply inactivity (although doing nothing is good); it is creative in the most meaningful way. When we tune out of the endless noise of life, we are more likely to hear the voice of God or the whispers of our heart. We give our attention to something other than the chatter and we delight in life a little more. We are healed and restored to life. The religious authorities needed Jesus to remind them of the purpose of the sabbath. Many of us need reminding of much the same.