THE GIFT OF SABBATH REST

The daily pressures of life often get us down. Or as the poet William Wordsworth put it "the world is too much with us". We all need to take a break occasionally in order to recharge our batteries. But how many of us switch off our cellphones and internet connections for one day every week?

This is what technology guru Arthur Goldstuck does, even though he runs an internet research company and is fully wired. As the sun sets on Friday evening he takes a complete break from any gadgetry until the end of the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday evening. Dr Greg Mills, Director of the Brenthurst Foundation, also switches off his emails on Saturdays even though he is not Jewish.

It makes sense on many levels, but the Biblical basis for the Sabbath is the Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." This is because God ceased from work after creating the world in six days.

The instruction not to work extends to servants, strangers and even animals. This was an extraordinary restraint in ancient times as it made everyone equal on this day. Not even a king could compel any other person to work on the Sabbath.

It is meant to be a day of spiritual contemplation and time with family before plunging back into the hurly burly of daily life. Activities like switching on a light or driving are forbidden as they involve creative acts whereas the day is meant to teach gratitude and appreciation of nature.

American Senator Joe Lieberman has written a new book called "The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath". His strict observance has meant long walks home from the US Capitol to his home after casting a vote on a Friday evening. Not campaigning on Sabbath earned him respect, and his nomination as Al Gore's vice-presidential candidate in 2000 was generally seen as a boost for Gore.

He hopes that people of all faiths can see "how wonderful it is to stop one day and disconnect all the electronics and just focus in on yourself, your relationship with your family, and God. This will not only give you a peace of mind ... but it will ultimately make you a better worker the other six days of the week.

We have a two day weekend, but it is often frittered away on destructive activities that break up lives and families. Hospital casualty wards are full on weekend nights with victims of road accidents and violence largely fuelled by alcohol.

I accept that secular laws should allow free trade on any day of the week, but something valuable was lost when laws against Sunday trading were relaxed many years ago. No longer was there a day when we were valued not for what we buy or own but as equal beings when we could relate to each other not in terms of power or status but intrinsic worth.

Lieberman suggests that people voluntarily turn off all their electronics for a day or part of one and have a special family meal. Creating such a "sanctuary in time" would help to build families and focus on what is really important in life.

Jack Bloom is DA Leader in the Gauteng Legislature. This article first appeared in The Citizen.

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