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.
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