Re-Creation
Gustavo Gutierrez, the father of liberation theology, suggests that, to have a healthy spirituality, we must feed our souls in three ways: through prayer, both private and communal; through the practice of justice; and through having those things in our lives (good friendships, wine-drinking, creativity, and healthy leisure) that help keep our soul mellow and grateful. For Gutierrez, our task as Christians is to transform the world through love and justice, but he is clear that we will not succeed in this if our actions issue forth from anger or guilt. Only one kind of person transforms the world spiritually, someone with a grateful heart.
— Quoted from The Holy Longing: The Search for Christian Spirituality, pages 66-67.
I love this understanding of Christianity. As Christians, we are called to prayer, justice, and, ultimately, those things that will bring joy into our lives. Living a joyful life is really important not only for our physical and mental health, but also for our spiritual health.
Summer is vacation time for most people — a time to pull away from the normal routine of life and take some time off for recreation and relaxation. But the national morning shows have been full of stories about how people are taking their blackberries and cell phones with them and checking in with the office at least a couple times a day. How sad! When did we become so important that we can't leave our jobs for a few days? Are we really that indispensable or are we unable to imagine ourselves outside of our connection with work? A few years ago I took my first two-week vacation in my adult life. The trip was amazing in every way, including that my cell phone didn't work and I intentionally didn't find a place to check email. The thing I learned in that experience is how important it is to re-charge my batteries and slow down my life. It took a good three to four days to really relax and stop thinking about work. And once I found that "zone" it was amazing how much things changed. I really felt my energy returning to me, I found my prayer life much richer, and I thought new and interesting thoughts. Conversations were about personal things, not the latest crisis on the job. We sat and enjoyed some beautiful sunsets and my mind was simply filled with the beauty, not distracted by anything else. And occasionally when the conversation turned to work, it felt different to me, more insightful and less emotional.
Here's my point: It can be so easy to make ourselves indispensable in the lives of our co-workers, families, churches, community organizations, etc. But to really live a healthy and holy life, we have to care as much about ourselves as we do about others. And that means that we have to do the things in our lives which will provide for re-creation. All of nature re-creates itself over time and we should be no different. Vacations provide an ideal time for that, but it is also important to take time each and every week to bring joy into our lives. How do you do that?
The song By the Waking of Our Hearts sings these beautiful words:
In our labor, rest most sweet;
grateful coolness in the heat.
Console our restless lives,
by your comfort, we seek.
Please don't let the summer pass completely without doing something for yourself. Even if you can't get away for a long time, take an afternoon just for what will be joyful and re-creative to you. And in the midst of that time, remember to ask God to be with you in that experience.
Loving God, help us breathe in your beauty, peace, and joy. Open our eyes, fill our hearts, and help us to be grateful for all the goodness that surrounds us. Be our comfort, we pray. Amen.
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Spirit Compass reflections are developed in partnership
with the Center for Ministry Development.