“Sinasabi ko sa iyo, isasama kita ngayon sa Paraiso.” (Lucas 23:43)

 

Sa kabila ng mga problema at pasakit na ating nararanasan sa mundong ito, wala na siguro tayo hihilingin pa kundi ang maranasan ang paraiso pagkatapos ng lahat ng ito. Sa lahat-lahat ng ito, hindi ba mas lalong ninanais natin ang kaayusan? Ang kaginhawaan? Ang kapayapaan? Ang ganap at kasiya-siyang buhay para sa lahat?

Ngunit hindi madaling makapunta agad sa ganoong bahagi ng ating buhay. Walang nakapupunta ng paraiso agad ng hindi dumadaan sa hirap at sakit. Pero sa mga simpleng bagay, pwedeng maranasan natin ang mala-paraisong damdamin. Ang mga ina, sa tuwing dumaranas ng hirap sa kanilang panganganak, walang kasing saya sa kanila marinig ang iyak ng bagong silang nilang sanggol. Sa tuwing tayo ay dumaranas ng matinding sakit, walang kasing saya ang makaranas ng pagmamalasakit at kagalingan. Sa tuwing makikipag-buno tayo sa ating pang araw-araw na trabaho, walang kasing saya ang magkaroon ng laman ang ating sikmura o kaya ng maginhawang buhay. Sa tuwing nakararanas tayo ng kalituhan at masidhing kalungkutan sa mga nangyayari sa ating buhay, walang kasing saya ang makahanap ng masasandalan at maiiyakan na balikat.

Ganito din marahil ang naranasan ng isang kriminal na kasama ni Jesus na nakabayubay din sa krus... Nang nakiusap siya kay Jesus -- “… alalahanin mo ako kapag naghahari ka na.” (Lk. 23:42) -- walang kasing saya din marahil ang naramdaman niya nang marinig ang katiyakan mula kay Jesus (tal. 43), 

“Sinasabi ko sa iyo, isasama kita ngayon sa Paraiso.”

Nakita marahil ng kriminal na iyon ang pagmamahal ni Jesus sa mga taong kumukutya sa kanya. Nakita niya ang hindi maabot na lalim at lawak ng pag-ibig ng Diyos. Dahil dito, may pagbabago siyang na nakamit sa kanyang buhay. Sa gitna ng kamatayan, nakalaya siya sa tanikala ng kahihiyan sa piling ni Jesus dahil sa kanyang pag-amin sa sariling kamalian at paghingi ng awa. Marahil kaya pa niyang indahin ang hirap sa pagkakabayubay ng mas matagal dahil naranasan na niya ang kapatawaran na kanyang inaasam.

Sa pangyayaring ito ipinapakita kung paano ang nakapanghihimok at sumasaklaw na grasya ng Diyos ay nagpabago sa buhay ng isang taong nahusgahan ng lipunan bilang isang halang ang kaluluwa, walang pag-asang magbago, at patuloy na binabagabag sa kanyang nakalipas na kamalian. Kung nagawang patawarin ni Jesus ang ganitong tao, bakit tayo hindi? Pinapakita lamang din ng pangyayari na ito ang realidad ng ating lipunan kung gaano kabaluktot at hindi patas ang sistema ng ating hustisya, na imbis na nagliligtas ay mas nanghahamak at pumapatay. May mga taong nga na bagamat nakakulong sa bilanguan, nakamit na ang kalayaan mula sa Diyos. Pero maraming tao ang nasa labas ng kulungan, na tila malaya, pero patuloy na inaailipin ng kanilang sariling kasalanan.

Malinaw ang mensahe ng wika na ito ni Jesus – ang pag-ibig ng Diyos ay laging BUKAS at TUMATANGGAP. Hindi NANGHUHUSGA at MAPANGHUSGA. Laging nagbibigay ng PAG-ASA at KAPAYAPAAN. Kung tayo nga ay tunay na tagasunod ni Cristo, bakit tila kabaliktaran ang ating ginagawa sa pagpapahayag ng kaligtasan? Imbis na pag-ibig, panghuhusga? Imbis na pag-asa, pananakot? Kung tunay tayong tagasunod ni Cristo, nawa’y ipakita natin ang pag-ibig ng Diyos na nagliligtas sa kung paano ito pinakita ni Jesu Cristo. Nang sa ganoon ay maari nating maranasan ang paraiso dito sa lupa, gaya ng sa langit.

“Ama ko, patawarin mo sila sapagkat hindi nila nalalaman ang kanilang ginagawa” (Lucas 23:34)

Si Lucas, sa kanyang isinulat na ebanghelyo, ay gumamit ng sapat na pagsasalarawan sa kung gaano kabuti at maawain ang Diyos.  Matingkad ito sa mga talinhaga tulad ng: “Mabuting Samaritano (10:30-37),” “Mabuting Pastol (15:4-6),” at “Mabuting Ama ng Maalibughang Anak (15:20-32).”  Kung kaya’t maging sa pagsasalaysay sa pagpapakasakit ni Jesus sa kalbaryo, makikita pa din ang larawan ng isang mabuti at mahabaging Diyos sa gitna ng nakapanlulumong sitwasyon.

Wika ni Jesus (Lk. 23:34), “Ama ko, patawarin mo sila sapagkat hindi nila nalalaman ang kanilang ginagawa.”  Sa mga wika na ito ni Jesus, ipinapakita kung gaano kalawak ang kanyang pang-unawa, habag, at pagmamahal sa atin.  Pagkatapos ng lahat ng sakit at pangungutya na natanggap niya mula sa mga taong nasa ibaba, tumingala siya sa langit at nakiusap pa rin sa kanyang Ama ng pang-unawa at pagpapatawad sa mga taong iyon na mapagmataas.

Kabaligtaran ito sa ugali at gawi nating mga tao.  Madalas ay hindi tayo marunong umako sa ating mga pagkakamali o pagkukulang.  Kung hindi magbigay ng maraming dahilan para pagtakpan ang kasalanan ay ibinabaling naman natin sa iba ang sisi.  Sa kabilang banda, may mga taong lunod naman sa lebel ng kanilang moralidad na panghuhusga at pangungutya naman ang ibinabato sa mga taong nagkakamali.  Ngunit sa mga wika na ito ni Jesus, iniaakay niya tayo na umunawa, mahabag, magparaya, at magpatawad.

Hindi nga ba alam ng mga taong nagsakdal at humusga kay Jesus ng kamatayan ang kanilang mga ginagawa?  Hindi nga ba nila alam na mali ang paratang nila kay Jesus bilang isang kriminal at kaaway ng Emperyo?  Hindi ba’t mga Pariseo at mga pinuno ng relihiyon sila – mga dalubhasa sa Batas ni Moises at sa Aklat ng mga Propeta?  Bakit hindi nila nalaman na si Jesus na nga ang Cristo, ang ipinangakong Mesias?

Sa tuwing tayo ay nagpapatangay sa takbo ng maling sistemang umiiral sa ating lipunan; sa tuwing pinaiiral natin ang ating makasariling kagustuhan; sa tuwing pinagtitiwalaan natin ng higit ang ating sariling dunong at itinakdang moralidad – tayo’y nagiging bulag at mangmang lamang sa harapan ng Diyos.  Hindi natin namamalayan, mahuhulog na pala tayo sa bangin ng kasalanan.

Subalit ang Diyos ay malawak ang pang-unawa, kahabagan, at pag-ibig.  Bago pa man tayo makapagtanto sa ating mga pagkakamali at pagmamataas, inunat na Niya ang kanyang mga braso at kamay upang buong puso tayong tanggapin muli at patawarin.  

The cross is scandalous as how it exposes the guilt of the criminals and becomes a symbol of death in the Roman Empire.  But God’s grace through Jesus Christ is more scandalous that it forgives and openly welcomes even the sinners like you and me.

Sa wikang ito ni Jesus, tayo’y inaanyayahan niyang muli na dumulog sa paanan ng krus kung saan tumigib ang kanyang banal na dugo.  Upang magsisi sa mga kasalanan, magpakumbaba sa Diyos, magsuri sa sarili, magpatawad sa mga nagkasala, umiwas sa pagmamataas, at humiling ng tulong sa pagpapanibagong buhay.  Nawa, tanggapin natin ang wagas na pagpapatawad ng Panginoon.

“Diyos ko, Diyos ko, bakit mo ako pinabayaan?” (Mateo 27:46; Marcos 15:34)

Marami sa atin, tuwing nakakaranas ng problema o kapighatian – ang madalas na tanong sa Diyos ay, “Bakit ko kailangan maranasan ito?”  Pakatapos nilang magpakabuti o gumawa ng mga nararapat na mga bagay na nakapagbibigay ng kaluguran sa Diyos para bang ang kaunting kabutihan nila ay dapat na maging exemption ticket nila sa hirap at kapighatian.

Ngunit ang mga ganitong tanong ay nawawalan ng saysay kung ating titignan ang dinanas na pighati at hirap ni Jesus sa krus.  Bagamat tinupad niya ang nais ng Diyos na itinuturing niyang “Amang nasa langit,” hindi siya naging ligtas sa pagranas ng hirap at pighati.

Isa nga sa mga naging wika ni Jesus sa krus na naglalarawan ng kanyang malalim na karanasan sa kapighatian ay ang mga salitang “Diyos ko, Diyos ko, bakit mo ako pinabayaan?” “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (Mt. 27:46; Mk. 15:34).

Ang mga wika sa panaghoy na ito ni Jesus ay makikita rin sa kathang awit ni David (Awit 22:1).  Naglalaman ang awiting panaghoy ng matinding emosyon ng kapighatian na nagnanais ng tulong mula sa Diyos.  Ang makaranas ng pisikal na sakit ay sapat na sana sa upang pasanin ang hirap, ngunit ang maranasan na iwanan o pabayaan sa gitna ng kapighatian ay dagdag sakit sa nararamdaman ni Jesus.  Ang dating tinatawag niyang “Ama” ay tinawag niyang “Diyos” na para bang may nagbago sa relasyon nilang dalawa.

Sa gitna ng hirap at pighati, unti-unti niyang naranasan din ang paglayo ng kanyang malalapit na alagad na tinuring na niyang mga kaibigan. Sa puntong siya’y nakabayubay sa krus, para bang naramdaman niya rin ang pagtalikod sa kanya ng Diyos na siya na lamang pinagkakapitan ng pag-asa.

Ang wikang ito ni Jesus ay nagbibigay sa atin ng mensahe na maging ang Panginoon ay nakaranas ng sakit at pighati.  Ang wikang ito ni Jesus ay nagsasabi sa atin na ang Diyos ay nakakaunawa at nakakaramdam sa ating nararanasang sakit at kapighatian.  Ang wikang ito ni Jesus ay nagdadala ng damdamin nating mga tao na nakaranas at nakakaranas din ng kapighatian at kawalan ng pag-asa patungo sa Diyos.

Walang makakaiwas sa kapighatian, sapagkat bahagi ‘yan ng buhay dito sa masalimuot at madilim na mundo.  Ngunit ang Diyos ay nakakaunawa, nakakakita, nakakarinig, nakakaramdam – ng ating mga pagluha, pag-iyak, pagdaing, pagreklamo, at pagsigaw ng kapighatian.  Sa ating masalimuot at magulong mundo, may Diyos tayong mapagkakapitan ng pag-asa at makakaasa ng tulong.

At kung ating susundan ang awit ng pighati na winika ni Jesus, makikita natin ang pag-asang natamo ng naghihirap na alagad, “Mga ginawa mo'y ihahayag ko sa aking mga kababayan, sa gitna ng kapulungan ika'y papupurihan.” (Awit 22:22).  Sa dulo ng awit (talata 31), binibigyan tayo ng kasiguraduhan na ang Diyos ay hindi natutulog at Siya’y magliligtas – “Maging ang mga di pa isinisilang ay babalitaan, ‘Iniligtas ni Yahweh ang kanyang bayan.’”

Rethinking Shabbat in a Stressful Globalized Society

I. Introduction

Our world now gives us so much stress and anxiousness.  We are in a world where time seems so expensive that we cannot afford to take time to rest for ourselves.  We give so much value on how to produce wealth brought by Capitalism and Globalization.  With the dominance of this free market society and profit-driven economy, Consumerism controls the mind of the people.  Humans are now obsessed with producing wealth and consuming goods, rather than giving premium to persons dignity and community health.  It becomes a cycle that brings so much destruction in the very core of our becoming human as stewards of God’s creation.

The busy and fast-changing world disturbs us continuously.  The destruction of our environment and ecosystem because of greedy capitalists also contributes to our disruptions.  These deprive us to take time to rest, meditate, and realign ourselves to connect with nature.  In effect, we become more restless and weak.  We struggle to establish a deep connection with our Creator God, to the community, and to the whole creation.  We struggle to find our sense of life that is patterned to the purpose of our Creator and harmonizes with the whole creation. 

The question now is how do we change the course of our present world, as God's creatures and entrusted stewards of all creation?  What are the ways or alternative perspectives that can be adapted to solve the worsening problem of the destruction of humanity and the whole of creation?  For these reasons, I would like to give some studies about the impact of lack of rest on our health, both physical, mental, spiritual, as well as moral.  I would also like to give emphasis on the importance of Shabbat, as an act of reclaiming it, to transform the state of our global economic society dominated by capitalism and consumerism.

II. The Challenges and Threats of the Globalized World to the Whole Creation

Eleazar Fernandez, in his book “Burning Center, Porous Borders: The Church in a Globalized World” (2011), discussed the tremendous effect of globalization in our society, especially on the church (ecclesiology).^[1]  He enumerated many of its significant global challenges and threats such as economic disparity, migration, war and terrorism, ecological destruction, the sickening state of global health, and religious diversity.^[2]  He argued that the world is now globalized to the point that the locals are lived globally and the global is lived locally. ^[3] It means that global dynamics now greatly affect our local communities.  As the global trend depends on local trends, and the local trend is now highly dependent on the global trend.  This results in having a globalized society and that it makes our world more complicated and challenging.

Globalization resulted in a fatal intertwining of the global financial, socioeconomic, climate, and ecological crises accompanied in many places of the world by the suffering of people and their struggle for life.^[4]  Every aspect of those crises are mutually dependent and reinforce each other.  Through broad market liberalization, deregulation, and unrestrained privatization of goods and services, the whole Creation is now being exploited more than ever.^[5]  It eliminates social programs and services while continuing to open economies across borders that seem to have no limit on production growth.  Globalization has resulted in uncontrollable financial flows that destabilize the economies of an increasing number of countries all over the world.

The World Council of Churches pointed out that during the last thirty years, market faith based on unbridled competition and expressed by calculating and monetizing all aspects of life has overwhelmed and determined the direction of our systems of knowledge, science, technology, public opinion, media, and even education.^[6]  This dominating approach has funneled wealth primarily toward those who are already rich and allowed humans to plunder resources of the natural world far beyond its limits to increase their own wealth.  The neoliberal paradigm lacks the self-regulating mechanisms to deal with the chaos it creates with far-reaching impacts, especially for the impoverished and marginalized.

The Accra Confession, published by the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), stated that the policy of limitless growth among industrialized countries and the drive for profit of transnational corporations have plundered the earth and severely damaged the environment.^[7]  In 2007, the scientists at the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity determined that there are up to 150 species extinct every day.^[8]  That means every year, between 18,000 and 55,000 species become extinct.^[9]  In the 2019 report of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), there are 1 million species threatened with extinction.^[10]  Global warming, rising sea level, super typhoons, deforestation, reduction of fish stocks, soil erosion, and threats to freshwater are among the devastating consequences of our damaged environment.  Communities are disrupted, livelihoods are lost, coastal regions and Pacific islands are threatened with inundation, and storms increase.  High levels of radioactivity threaten health and ecology.  Life forms and cultural knowledge are being patented for financial gain.

Despite the proponents of global capitalism who are proud of their contribution to “prosperity” and “wealth” in the world, many people still suffer from poverty and starvation.  It is hard to imagine that while the global market produces immense wealth with daily financial transactions totaling in the trillions, there are still approximately 12,000 deaths of malnutrition and poverty-related cases every day.^[11]  Global hunger, as Fernandez pointed out, does not exist by itself.^[12]  It is very much related to another global reality which is massive global poverty.  According to international data, there is more than enough food produced in the world to feed everyone on the planet.  In fact, about 70 percent of the global food supply is produced by small farmers, herders, and fishermen, yet they are the ones who are mainly vulnerable to food insecurity because poverty and hunger are most acute among rural populations.^[13]  The issue is not a lack of food supply, but massive hunger.^[14]

It is sad to think that this condition of the poor – poverty and hunger – is often assumed by others simply because of their laziness.  Where in fact, many of them work hard in life or what we call “kayod kalabaw” just to elevate themselves from poverty.  Many of them spend most of the day exposed to the heat of the sun while carrying heavy loads on their work.  Others go hungry just to reach the set production quota in the factory.  Still, the standard minimum wage they receive per day (500-537 pesos for NCR, while 282-350 pesos in other provinces)^[15] is often too low to meet the daily expenses of their family.  In reality, despite laws protecting workers' right to a fair and living wage, many of them still receive less than standard wages.  If I will borrow the words from Eleazar Fernandez, what they receive is indeed not a living wage but a death wage.^[16]  Those who sell goods for living on the streets or public places, too often risk high levels of competition in their livelihood, almost selling cheaply just to at least recover their capital.  This is how the experience of many people on the margins of society is described, “isang kahig, isang tuka.”  However, there are also people who often “kahig ng kahig, wala pa ring matuka!”  This means, as for Melanio Aoanan, “that human life has been so dehumanized and demeaned to the level of a beastly existence.”^[17]

 

III. The Restlessness in Globalized World

In our current reality, we are obligated to work hard to meet our basic needs and roles that are expected of us.  It seems like endless work and doubling down just to meet the requirements deadlines.  Just to meet daily needs, earn big, and fulfill the dream of luxurious life.  “Multi-tasking” is the trend of our modern world with the help of technology so that we can speed up our tasks.  However, despite this, there are still many things we cannot accomplish in our lives.  Michael Moore once wrote about the reversal of the American Dream.^[18]  He said, “[In American Dream] If you work hard, and your company prospers, you, too, shall prosper.”  But not anymore.  “If you work hard, and the company prospers – you lose your job!”  Karl Marx had the same critique when he said, “the more value [the worker] creates the more worthless he becomes; the more refined his product the more crude and misshapen the worker; the more civilized the product the more barbarous the worker.”^[19]

Due to overwork, we lose sight on the importance of rest and we are already having a serious problem when it comes to our sleeping pattern.  According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), “Sleep is a vital indicator of overall health and well-being.”^[20]  It says that at least one-third of the time we spend sleeping.  Science defines sleep as “a biologic process that is essential for life and optimal health.”^[21]  It plays a critical role in brain and physiological function, which includes metabolism, appetite regulation, and the functioning of immune, hormonal, and cardiovascular systems.  They say that normal and healthy sleep is characterized by sufficient duration, good quality, appropriate timing and regularity, and the absence of sleep disturbances and disorders.  Sleep helps our body to regenerate the cells and regain the energy that we have lost to our bodies.

There are several studies about how our present society affects our sleep patterns and health.  A study cited by American Psychological Association (APA), that from 1999 to 2004, at least 40 million Americans suffer from over 70 different sleep disorders and 60 percent of adults report having sleep problems a few nights a week or more.^[22]  Most of those with these problems go undiagnosed and untreated.  Besides, more than 40 percent of adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month – with 20 percent reporting problem sleepiness a few days a week or more.  Furthermore, 69 percent of children experience one or more sleep problems a few nights or more during a week.

With the prevailing problem of traffic congestion in the Philippines’ metropolis, we can see that it not just significantly affects the economic aspect of the country, but also the physical and mental health of the Filipinos because of deprived time for rest.  The study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) in 2012 shows that long commutes are associated with higher weight, lower fitness levels, and higher blood pressure – all strong predictors of heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.^[23]  The study also notes that “being exposed to the daily hassles of traffic can lead to higher chronic stress.”^[24]  Furthermore, a survey result cited by Philippine Daily Inquirer (21 November 2017) says that 46 percent of Filipinos do not get enough sleep, 32 percent said they sleep for less than 6 hours.^[25]

What does sleep disruption cost us?  According to Goran Medic et. al (2017)^[26], several health consequences of sleep disruption in both the short and long term.  Short-term consequences of sleep disruption include increased stress responsibility; somatic problems; reduced quality of life; emotional distress; mood disorders and other mental health problems; cognition, memory, and performance deficits; and behavior problems in otherwise healthy individuals.  Sleep disruption may also diminish the health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with underlying medical conditions.  Long-term consequences of sleep disruption in otherwise healthy individuals include hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, weight-related issues, metabolic syndrome, and type-2 diabetes.  Evidence suggests that sleep disruption may increase the risk of certain cancers and death.  Sleep disruption may also worsen the symptoms of some gastrointestinal disorders.

Given this information regarding the global condition of people because of sleep disruption should send us a very significant warning.  The lack of sleep or rest jeopardizes our physical and mental functioning.  This will eventually result in poor performance and productivity.  If this prevailing problem continues, it will be a severe threat to the future of humanity together with global warming.

 

IV. Rethinking Shabbat in a Globalized World

The word “rest” translating in Hebrew is rich in meaning.  It usually means “to cease from work” or “inactivity.”^[27]  However, the Hebrew נוּחַ (nuach) is also synonymous to – שַׁבָּת (shabbat) which means “repose” or “state of tranquility”; שָׁלוֹם (shalom) which means “peace,” “completeness,” or “welfare”; and שְׁלָה (sh’lah) which means “at ease” or “to be secure.”^[28]  This shows that “rest” in Hebrew has a deeper meaning and is not just bound in the physical nature of the word, which is “to stop work,” but also in the metaphysical aspect which involves the inner sense of tranquility, peace, security.

It is interesting to note that the word “rest” has a direct translation of the Tagalog word “pahinga.”  The word is a combination of the prefix “pa” and the root word “hinga.”  The prefix “pa” is meant to “cause something.”  While the word “hinga” means “breathe,” “air,” “inhale and exhale,” which has something to do with breathing, or taking in and out the air.  In Hebrew, “hinga” is translated as “רוּחַ” (ruach) which is also synonymous to the word “spirit.”  According to Dr. James Strong’s concordance, the original idea of “nuach” lies in respiring or drawing breath.^[29]  It could be meaningful if we view “pahinga” not just to pause, to take a break from work, or sleep, but as a time to renew our spirit by taking in (inhale) the fresh air or “ruach” from God, and taking out (exhale) the negative emotions that give us burden in life.

With the emerging problem of sleep deprivation and rest in our globalized society, the call of God for us to take rest makes it more relevant and necessary in our lives today than ever.  One of the most important details of the creation narrative in Genesis is when God rested on the seventh day after all that God did in six days (Gen. 2:2-3).  But why did God rest?  Did God felt tired or exhausted after six days of work?  Why did God need to rest to regain strength if Godself described as almighty?

One of the commandments given by Yahweh to Israelites is to observe Shabbat religiously (Ex. 20:8-11).   In Judaic tradition, sabbath rest has a social, economic, ecological, and political significance that underlies within the spiritual life of the Israelites.  Sabbath rest is a Jewish way of life (Ex. 23:10-12; Lev. 25) as it can be seen in the practice of Sabbath day, Sabbatical year, and Jubilee year.  It is about the people, laborers, slaves, animals, and land, ceasing from labor to regenerate.  It is about justice, reconciliation, and redemption for those who are in debt to their debtors and slaves to their masters.  It is about continuously renewing the social and ecological sphere so that people, especially those who are in richness and power, may not oppress or dominate those who are poor and weak in society like what they experienced when they were still slaves in Egypt.  Ferdinand Anno said that “Shabbāth in Judaeo Christianity is a moment of worship and everyone rests, heaven and earth (Ex 20: 8-11).  Be it the Jewish Sabbath on Saturdays or the Christian Sabbath on Sundays, the setting aside of a day to put a stop to all our humanly pursuits to connect with God is rooted in the event of the Exodus’ reconstruction of the narrative of life’s beginnings.”^[30] 

Therefore, the idea lies in Genesis 2:2-3 is not just that God rested, but God created rest, blessed and sanctified it, for all of God’s creation to enjoy.  As the prominent Old Testament scholar and theologian, Walter Bruggemann, wrote: “That divine rest on the seventh day of creation has made clear (a) that YHWH is not a workaholic, (b) that YHWH is not anxious about the full functioning of creation, and (c) that the well-being of creation does not depend on endless work.”^[31]  This idea of Sabbath rest is contrary to the prevailing view of our modern-day culture.  Bruggemann argues that the celebration of Sabbath is an act of both resistance and alternative.^[32]  It is because Sabbath is a visible insistence that our lives are not defined by the production and consumption of commodity goods.  Along with the other practices it exposits, Sabbath concerns the maintenance of a distinct faith identity in the midst of a culture that is inhospitable to all distinct identities in its impatient reduction of all human life to the requirements of the market.^[33]

In the New Testament, the idea of sabbath can be viewed inline with Jesus’ Eucharist.  Where we enjoy time having communion with God while sharing the gift of grace we receive through Christ’s body and blood.  We receive this gift from God in gratitude, without requiring accomplishment or qualification to achieve it.  That moment of gift, as Bruggemman described it, is a peaceable alternative that many who are “weary and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care” receive gladly.^[34]  This religious act of giving and sharing should be instilled in our consciousness as a bold declaration of our condemnation against the dramatic anti-neighborliness to which our society is madly and uncritically committed.

Sabbath as a religious institution, according to Anno, is not unique to Judaeo Christianity and the other major religions.^[35]  Statutes similar to this spiritual practice are also present and religiously observed by indigenous groups.  Those similar sabbath observances in various indigenous groups equally find the need to reconnect with divinity and these require putting a cessation to everything to the relief of the work and the land.^[36]  Sabbath is not separate from the concept and the practice of “rest and fallow” (Ex 23:11), “sabbatical year and jubilee” (Lev 25), “shalom,” and “holiness” (Lev 17-27) in both Judaeo-Christianity and indigenous religious traditions.  It should not be viewed or treated as different religious codes and statutes, neither having a compartment with each other.  Anno suggests that it must be “observed and lived as one undivided whole or a continuum that spans the ritual and the life-rite, the symbolic and the real, the ecological and the political.”^[37]

Our present world is in destruction because we did not value sabbath rest.  A lot of companies offer sabbatical or vacation leave not merely as a basic benefit to serve their employees' wellness, but as compensation for their good performance or as an incentive for them to work hard.  Many employers are abusive to their employees by practicing more than 8 hours a day work, no weekly day-off, poor occupational health and safety, below-minimum wage, and no basic benefits.  We take rest not as a way of life or as necessary as it is to us human beings.  Since our intention to take rest is to regain strength or get out from the burdens of our responsibilities for a while.  Not to gain a new perspective, or create a new social order, or to maintain a balanced and harmonious life between God, humans, and other creations.

A. J. Swoboda, in his book entitled “Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World,” argued that “we have come to know Jesus only as the Lord of the harvest, forgetting he is the Lord of the Sabbath as well.”^[38]  The concept of Sabbath in biblical context, is indeed, a subversive act in our world where capitalism or the worship of profit holds more influence.  The idol of global capitalism, which is greed for money and possession, is very much dominating, must be worshipped 24/7, and all earth must roll synchronically as one machine to generate more profit for the rich and powerful.  Swoboda rightly pointed out the challenges we are facing now in our cultural realities:

“Our 24/7 culture conveniently provides every good and service we want, when we want, how we want. Our time-saving devices, technological conveniences, and cheap mobility have seemingly made life much easier and interconnected. As a result, we have more information at our fingertips than anyone in history. Yet with all this progress, we are ominously dissatisfied. In bowing at these sacred altars of hyperactivity, progress, and technological compulsivity, our souls increasingly pant for meaning and value and truth as they wither away, exhausted, frazzled, displeased, ever on edge. The result is a hollow culture that, in Paul’s words, is ‘ever learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth’ (2 Tim. 3:7) – increasingly so. Our bodies wear ragged. Our spirits thirst. We have an inability to simply sit still and be. As we drown ourselves in a 24/7 living, we seem to be able to do anything but quench our true thirst for the life of God. We have failed to ask ourselves the question Jesus asks of us: ‘What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’ (Matt. 16:26).”

Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, taught his disciples: “No one can serve two masters; for a servant will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matt. 6:24).  As followers of Christ, we are also being reminded that we cannot worship God and serve the mammoth god (wealth/earthly possessions) of the modern empire (global capitalism).  For the way of this mammon (capital, wealth) is the way of commodity that is the way of endless desire, endless productivity, and endless restlessness without any Sabbath.^[39]  We must not be persuaded by the idea of “efficiency” and “convenience” of multi-tasking – the drive to be more than we are, to control more than we do, to extend our power and our effectiveness.  Such practice, as Bruggemman puts it, yields a divided self, with full attention given to nothing.^[40]

 

V. Conclusion

As of the great destruction that global capitalism has brought to humanity and nature, and the threat to our health and future lives, reorganizing our destroyed world deserves to be taken seriously as a shared-responsibility by everyone.  The effect of endless labor to create abundant wealth for the rich and powerful, while nature is being destroyed and the lives of ordinary people being subjugated are unjust and contrary to the purpose of God for all creation.  Therefore, we must revisit and rethink about the biblical context of Sabbath.  To rethink it is to acknowledge it as a resistance and alternative to the dominant “profit-oriented” culture of our society.  Let us value and faithfully follow the essence of the Sabbath in our lives, so that our world will continue to shape according to our Creator's purpose for all creatures.  Let us take it as our way of life.  Furthermore, let us be encouraged by the Jewish saying: “More than the Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.”

Amidst our restlessness in this globalized world, Jesus is inviting us as what he had told to his followers in Matthew 11:28-30 (NRSV), ²⁸ “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Jesus is not just merely talking on physical rest – to have a break or stop from work.  It is an invitation to having a new perspective, of building a partnership with him, and of discipleship, in making all things new.  May we accept Jesus' offer of rest to us.

---

[1] Eleazar S. Fernandez, Burning Center, Porous Borders: the Church in a Globalized World (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2011).

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] World Communion of Reformed Churches, “24th General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches,” 24th General Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (Accra, Ghana: World Communion of Reformed Churches, 2004), pp. 1-4.

[5] World Communion of Reformed Church, “24th General Council,” 1-4.

[6] Rogate R. Mshana and Athena Peralta, Economy of Life: Linking Poverty, Wealth and Ecology (Geneva, Switzerland: World Council of Churches Publications, 2015).

[7] World Communion of Reformed Church, “24th General Council,” 1-4.

[8] Ahmed Djoghlaf, “Convention on Biological Diversity,” Convention on Biological Diversity (Quebec, Canada: United Nation Environment Programme, 2007), pp. 1-2.

[9] Ibid.

[10] “IPBES,” IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, May 6, 2019), accessed December 10, 2020, https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment#_ftnref1.

[11] Voice of America, “World Hunger Day 2019,” VOA (Editorials on Voice of America, May 28, 2019), last modified May 28, 2019, accessed October 31, 2020, https://editorials.voa.gov/a/world-hunger-day-2019/4935420.html.

[12] Fernandez, Burning Center, Porous Borders.

[13] Action Against Hunger, “World Hunger: Key Facts and Statistics 2020,” Action Against Hunger (Action Against Hunger, July 15, 2020), last modified July 15, 2020, accessed October 30, 2020, https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/world-hunger-facts-statistics.

[14] Fernandez, Burning Center, Porous Borders.

[15] Bureau of Working Conditions, Handbook on Workers' Statutory Monetary Benefits (Manila, Philippines: Department of Labor and Employment, 2020).

[16] Eleazar S. Fernandez, Burning Center, Porous Borders.

[17] Melanio Aoanan, “Teolohiya Ng Bituka at Pagkain: Tungo Sa Teolohiyang Pumipiglas,” in Anumang Hiram, Kung Hindi Masikip Ay Maluwang Iba’t-Ibang Anyo Ng Teolohiyang Pumipiglas, ed. Revelation Velunta (Dasmariñas, Cavite: Union Theological Seminary, 2017), pp. 32-54.

[18] Michael Moore, Downsize This! (Bredbury, United Kingdom: National Library for the Blind, 2005).

[19] Fernandez, Burning Center, Porous Borders.

[20] National Sleep Foundation, “Exercise and Sleep,” Sleep Foundation.org (National Sleep Foundation, n.d.), accessed December 9, 2020, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity/exercise-and-sleep.

[21] Goran Medic, et al., “Short- and Long-Term Health Consequences of Sleep Disruption,” Nature and Science of Sleep 9 (May 19, 2017): 151–161.

[22] American Psychological Association, “Why Sleep Is Important and Happens When You Don't Get Enough,” American Psychological Association (American Psychological Association, October 2008), last modified October 2008, accessed December 20, 2020, https://www.apa.org/topics/sleep/why.

[23] Christine M. Hoehner, et al., “Commuting Distance, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Metabolic Risk,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 42, no. 6 (June 1, 2012): 571–578.

[24] Ibid.

[25] Philippine Daily Inquirer, “46% Of Filipinos Don't Get Enough Sleep,” Philippine Daily Inquirer (Makati City, November 17, 2017), sec. C1, p. 27.

[26] Medic, et al., “Short- and Long-Term Health Consequences of Sleep Disruption,” 151–161.

[27] Bible Hub, “5117. Nuach,” Bible Hub (Bible Hub, n.d), accessed November 21, 2020, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5117.htm.

[28] Ibid.

[29] James Strong, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2007).

[30] Ferdinand A. Anno, “Some Musings on Our Sabbath Moment,” NorDis (Northern Dispatch, April 5, 2020), last modified April 5, 2020, accessed December 13, 2020, https://nordis.net/2020/04/05/article/opinion/columns/some-musings-on-our-sabbath-moment/.

[31] Walter Brueggemann, Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2017).

[32] Brueggemann, Sabbath as Resistance.

[33] Brueggemann, Sabbath as Resistance.

[34] Brueggemann, Sabbath as Resistance.

[35] Anno, “Some Musings on Our Sabbath Moment.”

[36] Anno, “Some Musings on Our Sabbath Moment.”

[37] Anno, “Some Musings on Our Sabbath Moment.”

[38] A. J. Swoboda, Subversive Sabbath: the Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Brazos Press, 2018).

[39] Brueggemann, Sabbath as Resistance.

[40] Brueggemann, Sabbath as Resistance.