The Rest

Here's a bit of a meditation on today's lectionary gospel, Mark 6:3-34. 53-57, where Jesus leads the disciples twice away from the crowd in order to rest and retreat. The crowds keep following and Jesus continues to show his compassion by curing and healing. My mind went to Jesus' recognition of the disciples' need for rest. The following is a bit abstract and quickly written, but kinda says what I've been thinking about this week in terms of the gospel reading for today:

The Rest

It helps the hearing of the notes

Allowing one hand to play on

While the other hand lets it have its way

The resting hand knows that there will be a time when

it will be heard alone,

But more than this, it know that the rest was intended by its composer-creator.

A rest, a time away,

Also a retreat after hard work is done

Because of the rest, we hear better

that music with which God has graced us with living

Because of the rest, we allow others time to be without us,

and to sing their song, play their music in a different key

Because of the rest, we learn the meaning of the 7th day, when God rested.

Because of the rest, we know again that it is the Lord God who made us

And not we ourselves

And because of the Rest, we live out the most beautiful thing of all

God can be trusted as the One who holds the present and the future

And we can lean on his everlasting arms.

God is in control.

Through the Rest, we know again:

We are not the ones who must always be

Productive

Performing

Pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps

Preparing always, our own way, by trying to control "our" piece of the world,

building, bigger barns

Putting all of our effort into

proving ourselves admirable, and top of it, and worthy by our works to be loved.

"Come away and rest awhile"

and bathe in the Sunlight so warm, so softening, so enfolding...

The Rest does that for us so that our trust is renewed, the music is purer and brighter

and we know with our whole being that our Lord holds us in his hands.