New Rhythms For Quarantine
There’s a heaviness weighing down most of us these days, and for good reason. In the first century, Jesus’s hearers faced the stress and fear of both military occupation and religious stiffness/stuckness. There are some parallels to our virus infected world today.
Take a deep breath. Maybe two. Now read over these verses with an ear to listen to Jesus.
Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Matthew 11:28, The Message
Could you sense Jesus extending an invitation to you in those words? Perhaps he is inviting you in these days of ‘shelter in place’ to find some new rhythms to help you reduce your anxiety, find rest, and experience hope - both to meet you in the stir-craziness and to comfort you in your fear. Notice how practical and bodily the invitation is - walk with me, work with me, watch me. These are actual practices, not just ideas or theology or even feelings. These are things you do.
Like the story we heard yesterday of 18-month-old Amelie sweetly saying “Pray?” before nap time and “Pray?” before meals, perhaps Jesus is inviting you to connect as well - not with guilt or fear or control or even moral ‘shoulds’ - but with an earnest desire to be with you and to invite you into a more flourishing way of life.
The following spiritual practice, which you can begin now, could be a simple way for you to respond to Jesus’s invitation. We’ve talked about this before at City Church, but making a habit become second nature takes time and repetition.
Take a deep breath, and as it fills your lungs, whisper Beloved (because that is who you are invited to be)
As you slowly let the air out, whisper to your soul Trust (because that’s how you are invited to live)
Set a reminder - on your phone or with a post-it note on your mirror or plan on it during family dinner - and practice this simple rhythm of grace twice a day all week. Give it a try - see if you can actually DO it, and not just think about it.
We’ll explore more of these spiritual practices in the next devotions, but this one is a simple way to start responding to Jesus’s invitation to learn from him.