Reflect

The need for rest is so essential that some form of sabbath is built into nearly every religion and culture. Without the kinds of rest that invite slowing down, connection, and reflection, it’s difficult to be fully present to our lives, and we risk becoming what Br. David Steindl-Rast describes as “a lopsided people, scurrying about, doing what we have to do, but in the process, shutting down our connection to that which gives shape to and meaning in our lives.” Deep rest is more than just sleep; it nourishes both body and soul, it cultivates both contemplation and community. “Our lack of rest and reflection,” Wayne Muller adds, “colors the way we build and sustain community, it dictates the way we respond to suffering, and it shapes the ways in which we seek peace and healing in the world.”