Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls…” (Matthew 11:28-30)

The first time I heard these words, I was 30 years old and sitting on an airplane reading a book that had nothing to do with religion, but used inspiring quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Jesus’ words seemed to jump off the page into my heart: “I will give you rest…” 

I stared at the words. Something inside me cracked open. Was Jesus inviting me to rest? Would it be okay to rest? In this short phrase, I heard for the first time that God was on my side. Maybe I could safely put down my armor and rest in the divine arms of a God whom I had just met. I cried tears of relief.

My mother was mentally ill. I grew up believing that I caused her illness and that God would condemn me because I was bad. Life seemed inherently unsafe. Deep feelings of anger, fear, and frustration became frozen in my nervous system.

On hearing these words from Jesus, I suddenly realized my exhaustion from always trying to prove that I was okay. “Okay” was code, meaning not mentally ill like my mother. It was a full-time job, one that paid not in money but in gaining approval. Rest was not on my agenda!

This one quote propelled me into years of healing that helped me develop an inner compassionate voice. Slowly I learned to release fear and anger and trust in the presence of a loving God. This was a slow process of self-reflection, re-calibrating my nervous system, and learning to trust life itself. 

Today, sadly, many of our political leaders are unwilling or unable to engage in even a bare minimum of self-awareness or reflection. At their core, they refuse to admit their own suffering, while blindly disregarding the cruelty they inflict on others. Unlimited thirst for power fuels policy decisions, while instilling fear becomes a weapon to control people.

In this chaotic environment, it is easy to become hooked on chasing the next headline, disaster, or latest crisis. We get caught up in the intensity of emotional excitement; anger, fear, and disappointment can become our daily norm. We become weary, yet dare not rest, for fear of “missing something important.”

What we may miss is that rest offers us a powerful tool of resistance. When I take time to rest, I can defuse the intensity of the emotional swirl, my thinking becomes clearer, and I make better decisions about how to respond to troublesome situations. Rest offers space for honest self-reflection, including my self-righteousness that helps fuel “I’m right; “they’ are wrong mentality. 

The process of self-reflection includes learning to de-fusing intense emotional experiences. I find this to be a slow learning process and demands lots of practice. But it is possible and makes a vast difference in how I experience myself and the world. This a bodily experience, not a conscious thought. When my emotions calm and my thinking clears, I experience a deep sense of Presence, a connection with a larger reality. From here, rest emerges organically as I relax from the intensity of the chaos and emotional swirl.

St. Paul teaches that honest self-reflection brings forth the best of who we are, what he calls the fruit of the Spirit:

“… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

When I take time to rest, my hope is renewed for a well-functioning government that wisely uses its resources wisely in response to emerging health concerns, extreme weather events, and continuing flows of immigration. I will support political candidates who share my concerns, such  as access to quality education and affordable health care in urban and rural areas, the availability of jobs that keep workers gainfully employed.

Little did I realize that the ancient words of Jesus might serve us so well in our current environment: rest in God. I’m not making a religious statement so much as pointing toward a form of spiritual healing. If “rest in Jesus” works for you, go with it! 

But if you need to find another place for your weary soul, seek what gives you a place of comfort, of peace. Perhaps it’s a place in nature, or the comforting arms of a loved one, or your beloved pet. Or it may be a practice of meditation with teachers who resonate with you. Many popular Christian and Buddhist teachers are available online or in person.

Episcopal priest and teacher Cynthia Bourgeault suggests that we in the West must move toward:

“… a renewed sense of dignity and coherence… If the postmodern universe so often seems random and meaningless; if the once great American dream of ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ seems so often nowadays to have shrunk to a bizarre caricature of itself — ‘The one with the most toys when he dies wins,’ as a popular bumper sticker mordantly proclaims — perhaps the problem is not that our vision has grown too small but that we are using too little of ourselves to see.” (Cynthia Bourgeault, The Wisdom Way of Knowing, pages 8-9)

I look forward to reclaiming our sense of dignity and coherence!

A TIME FOR REST

Here are some suggested guidelines for a period of rest. Adapt these in any way that supports you.

Set aside 15 minutes to rest. Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor. Or lie down on a bed, couch, or floor, if you prefer. For these few minutes, there is nothing else to do, nowhere else to go.

Put one hand on your heart, the other hand on your stomach (or wherever you prefer). Notice your breathing, inhale and exhale. Follow your breath for 10 cycles of inhale and exhale.

How do you feel?

With your eyes closed, spend a few minutes scanning your body. Sense the support of what you are sitting on (or lying down) on. Allow yourself to sink into that support. 

What sensations do you notice? (For example, tightness or pain? heat or cold? heartbeats? spaciousness?) Other observations? 

Slowly, open your eyes. If you are lying down, slowly sit up. What do you notice? How do you feel?

Your comments are welcome!