Lazy Spirituality

Is there a spirituality of doing nothing? I think so. Because for the past few weeks that’s what I have been doing. I hope that the creation story about how God worked is a model for us as well -- six days of creative energy and then a day of rest -- a Sabbath. The Sabbath is Sunday for most Christians, Saturday for Jews and Friday for Muslims; while the day differs, the intent is still the same -- “on the seventh day, God rested” and so should we. But what if we rested more than one day a week? Is that okay?


Now I must admit that I have a tendency to work, work, and then over-work. Even in my so-called “retirement” I continued to work. Iwent off to seminary. Worked as a parish priest. Even after Sabine got sick, I dove into writing. “Moss doesn’t grow on a rolling stone,” I remember my grandmother saying. Work is what we do.

But is there anything worthwhile, redeemable, in totally doing nothing? Sitting back, rocking on the porch, fishing, just hanging out? Are we called to be productive with the lives God has given us ALL the time? It seems that work takes up more than half of our waking hours. Maybe we have over-done it and we need to balance our days along the Rule of Benedict: equal amounts of prayer, study, and work during the day?

I have been on “vacation” for the past two weeks now. I haven’t done much: visited my children and grandchildren for a couple of days, visited some friends of ours in Orlando (yes, we did go to the Café Tu Tu Tango and act a little crazy!). But it’s vacation, right? Vacating ourselves from daily tasks and, in our case, as it turned out, from the Great Blizzard of 2011!

Now as we enter the last week of our vacation we have set aside this time at the beach for just the two of us -- just basking in each other’s presence. Enjoying one another. This is what I love about vacation is that we can really focus on one another. In order to do this, I vowed to finish my book before we went on vacation (and I did!) so Sabine would have a relaxed (and less obsessive) vacation partner. That helped a lot.

And now as we continue our daily regimen of getting up early, taking a long walk on the beach, coming back for breakfast and then dialysis, life has greatly slowed down. Afternoons are just as lazy, a nap, some reading, and then maybe a play at the Barn Theater in nearby Stuart.

Maybe it’s because of the cancer that we have been more focused on “carpe diem” -- seizing the day and on living life to its fullest. But then I think we were always like this (though I am probably wrong in my recollection). We don’t know how much time we have together (but then you don’t either, do you?) and we are totally committed (body and soul) to our relationship that is now on its 30th year. It’s been a good and full life. Every day now is a magnificent gift from God.

At the same time, I am sure that God understands that for the past couple of weeks I have rested for about six days and only “worked” about one. I know God is merciful, forgiving, and loving. I am sure she understands.