A Sabbath Rest

I once read a Jewish author who claimed that the best hope for the restoration of the world came from the Sabbath. If we allow "Sabbath" as a stand-in for the peace of God, it would definitely be a step in the right direction. There is so much exhaustion in the world; I include frustration as a type of exhaustion. People are tired of hatred, injustice, oppression, finger-pointing, fear-mongering, racism, scapegoating, riots, and so many other things. Tired.

At times like that, Sabbath brings relief and renewal. It is a time for beauty, for blessing, for holiness. (Is a lack of holiness one of the hallmarks of false morality? Something to ponder another day.)

The Sabbath carries with it a message: that the world is good. That pausing enables us to see it, to appreciate it. And without renewing ourselves, we cannot renew the world.