Pervasive Sabbath

I just listened to a podcast on countercultural Christianity. It’s a conversation between pastors working through various topics and how Christians are to act or react in light of Christ’s claim on us. I like it so far.

This particular episode was covering Sabbath. It’s a vital piece of life. Rest after work not as an earned reward but as a recognition that we need refreshing and we are not God.

I think the church could do far better in advocating for healthy rhythms of life for believers. Sabbath should be subversive, to borrow an adjective from another popular book. But what I have noticed in nearly every contemporary tome on eliminating hurry or carving out rest as the way of Jesus, is an utter lack of familiarity or relationship with the wage earner.

Most of the voices calling for an embrace of Sabbath are those of the affluent. Perhaps not everyone is “wealthy” by their own definition but they expose their lack of experiencing the tension of sacrificing hours of work or feeding their children.

God tells us he will judge those that oppressed the wage earner (Malachi 3:5) so how can we advocate for what is right and good without ignoring the poor?

Let’s start by serving them. By making friends. Entering into their lives as Jesus has. Maybe the church should create Sabbath gap funding to provide for the least. Or we can advocate for higher wages as a ways to pervasive Sabbath among all of us.

Let’s do it different. For the glory of Christ and the good of the kingdom.