2 min. read
I’m a recovering workaholic. Which means I always tend toward working too much. Walter Brueggemann has been another clarion call for me to recenter in the practice of Sabbath.
Sabbath Means Saying “No” to the Culture of Now
Brueggemann’s latest book “Sabbath As Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now” reminds us that the practice of Sabbath declares that our lives are not defined by the production and consumption of goods. He ties the strains of the Sabbath commandment to where it is situated in the Decalogue.
And the particular placement of this commandment in the middle of the Ten Commandments suggests resting, or stopping, is an act of resistance and alternative.
Resistance to What?
Drawing on the references and uses of the Sabbath commandment in the Hebrew Scriptures, Brueggemann argues that Sabbath is an act of resistance against four things: anxiety, coercion, exclusivism, and multitasking.
Resistance to anxiety is tied to Exodus 20.12-17. Resistance to coercion is informed by Deuteronomy 5.12-14. Resistance to exclusivism is expounded in Isaiah 56.3-8. Resistance to multitasking is confirmed by Amos 8.4-8.
The Evil of Multitasking
The last of the four resistances is the one that hits closest to home. Following the way of Jesus means I resist cultural norms on many levels. But I tend to embrace multitasking more than resist it.
I cannot truly keep Sabbath while wasting brain-space and energy on what’s not getting done or what needs to be done next. Nor can I fully invest in time with my wife or my kids while half thinking about work. Nor can I rest, restore, and recover for what lies ahead if I don’t resist the temptation of “catching up” when I should be stopping.
Practice Sabbath to Resist Coveting
Brueggemann ultimately ties the ways we refuse to resist culture and instead resist Sabbath to the state known as “coveting.” We would rather be anxious about tomorrow, coerce others into our schemes, exclude those who can’t help us succeed, and multi-task to assure our achievements because our hearts covet what we don’t have.
In a consumerist culture, Jesus-followers must always be about wanting the good of others as opposed to using others for our wayward greed and lust.
“Sabbath As Resistance” is a quick and lively read. And when you finish reading it, you will want to make space for truly practicing Sabbath. Let’s be counter-cultural together!