I always found it curious how the Hebrew scriptures creation story tells us God rested on the 7th day. Why would God rest? God is infinite power and potential and the very source of life. I was never raised to take scripture literally but I do believe that all sacred scriptures use stories to convey messages of a way of being and thinking different from our human constructs. I suppose I could take it the same way Orthodox Jews do and literally not do any kind of work on the 7th day. But perhaps there is an even deeper message. In this same story, God not only rested on the 7th day but also made a point of acknowledging goodness after each stage of creation. The story says there was a break of night and then a new day brought time for more creation. It speaks of the ebb and flow inherent in all of nature including us. The reasons we don’t rest in an accomplishment driven society is because we do not see its purpose when more can be created. What if God was modeling the importance of rest not because it needed but because it allowed space for appreciation. The rest time was a time of gratitude. A chance to pause and look at all that was present and good in the day. I don’t think God needed sleep out of exhaustion but rather wanted to allow space to revel in the beauty and intricacy of creation. God was showing us an essential part of creating is the restful time of appreciation that follows.
Be From Restful!
on May 11, 2017My prayer for us is the willingness to be restful in a space of appreciation for all the good in our lives today.
dailydatewithgod 
Leave a comment