Catching Up, July 19, 2009
It had, apparently been a rough time for the disciples. Jesus had sent them out two by two to proclaim repentance and to heal the sick. And while they were gone, Herod had arrested John the Baptist and had him beheaded. As might be expected, news of his death had only made the preaching disciples stronger in their conviction and more driven in their work. The good news of the coming reign of God was spreading rapidly. People were healed and lives were changed. In fact, their work was so successful that even Herod wondered if John had been raised from the dead. And then one day, the wandering preachers came home. Perhaps it was a pre-set time. In any case . . . Mark 6: 30-34.
The story is told of some African workers who were hired to carry pieces of heavy equipment on their backs to a remote post in the interior of Africa. After several days of marching, one day they refused to pick up their burdens and go any further. They sat by the side of the road turning deaf ears to the appeals of the man in charge. Exasperated, the leader of the expedition asked them, "But why don’t you want to go on?" One of the workers replied, "Sir, we are waiting for our souls to catch up with our bodies." (Of course, I don’t know if it really happened that way . . . but I know that story is true!)
We talk so often about ‘catching up’ and it usually means working harder or longer or doing more so that we have handled our ‘to do’ list. ‘Catching up,’ for us, implies going faster, doing more, cutting corners, stopping less. When we’re behind, the last thing we think about doing is slowing down so it’s interesting that’s precisely what Jesus has the disciples do. He doesn’t say it - but he could have - come away to the other side and . . . let’s let our souls catch up with our bodies. Jesus had sent the disciples out. He expected them to work long and hard. He himself was intense in his mission and he taught his friends well. They too were intense. In fact, they had been so busy they had not even had time to eat. Sound familiar? So Jesus took them to a deserted place. Not to a work retreat or to Disciple-Training-Classes or Self -Improvement Seminars. Nor did he take them to a First Century McDonalds (or McDavid’s) for a fast food fix. The text is clear. Come away to a deserted place. They went by boat, to the "other side" - that is the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It would have been Gentile territory. Even now there is not much over there and, at that time, the ‘other side’ was definitely out-of-the-way for a Jew. And he took them at precisely the time when many very good things were happening. Don’t get the impression that this was a slow season. Remember Jesus didn’t have all that many seasons to begin with and none of them were slow. Don’t get the impression that they’d all returned because the mission had been accomplished. Quite the contrary - from what we know, they returned to ‘headquarters’ at a very busy time. The sick were still sick. The hungry were still hungry. And the Romans were still in charge. John the Baptist had been killed. Word of Jesus was spreading. Soon, he would multiply the loaves and fishes and feed hundreds. After that he would walk on water and heal the sick. But before that, even he needed a break. So they went to the other side, to a deserted place to let their souls catch up with their bodies.
If even Jesus had to do it, why is it so hard for us? The salvation of the world notwithstanding, Jesus and his disciples took a break. We don’t have to worry about the salvation of the world but you’d never know it from the schedules we keep! I know what we do is important and I know there are demands from family, work, church, good causes. And I know that God wants us to be involved in doing good deeds and being responsible. I think we do need to work hard. It’s just that we need to rest hard too. Not just wish there was time for it. Do it. Regularly. The rest stop the disciples took wasn’t apparently a long one. When they got to the other side, people fairly quickly found them and they got on with things. But still, they went to the other side.
Rabbi David Wolpe in his book Why Faith Matters relates this tale:
There is a story of a Hasidic rabbi whose child used to wander off to spend time alone in a forest. Concerned and curious, one day the rabbi pulled his boy aside to ask him what he was doing. "I go to the forest to find God," said the boy. "That’s wonderful," replied the father. "But you need not go to the forest to find God. Don’t you know that God is the same everywhere?" (Can’t you just see the glint in the Dad’s eye as he imparted this bit of eternal wisdom?) "God is," the boy answered, "but I’m not."
And so, Jesus said, take some time - let’s let our souls catch up with our bodies. Let’s go away to a deserted place. Go away to rest a while. It doesn’t need to be long. It doesn’t even need to be to another location. It just needs to be different. Away - at least on the inside. It can be as simple as taking a walk or closing your door for a few moments or turning off your cell phone. We have so many gadgets these days that call us to work that we need to get really creative at claiming our need - our right - to rest. Jesus took the disciples to the other side of the lake and in so doing, he removed them from normal life. We, on the other hand, have to get out of cell phone range - and text message territory - which is increasingly difficult. I start most weddings these days with a request that people turn their cell phones off during the ceremony. Still, they ring. I know at times it is an oversight but, more than once, someone has taken a call right there in the midst of a wedding - or funeral or service or meeting. (It actually happened just last night during the symphony!) We really do not need to be eternally accessible. The other thing is not always more important than this thing. But when our souls are disconnected from our bodies, we get confused.
Some of you know that twice a year I take time - usually about a week - to go away to read and do planning for upcoming sermons and worship. I typically spend half days reading and writing and planning. And the remainders of those days, I relax. I do something completely different from the matter at hand. I read a novel or take a walk or just sit outside. After that week, I have plans made for about 5 - 6 months of preaching. I just did this at the end of June and I remember saying to Lyle one late afternoon as we sat by the pool and enjoyed the sun that if anyone saw us, they’d never believe this was actually a ‘work’ week. But, the fact is that rhythm of work and rest is essential to what I do that week and for what I do all year. Quite frankly, I wish I were better at doing it the remainder of the year. Sometimes those planning weeks are even better than a vacation for me because the daily rhythm itself is renewing. I came across the story I just used (about the boy who went to the forest) in some of my reading during that week and I doubt I would have made the connection between that story and this sermon had I not taken the time for reading, rest, renewal and integration. Letting my soul catch up with my body.
This story, from Frog and Toad Together, is called "The Garden."
Frog was in his garden. Toad came walking by. "What a fine garden you have, Frog, he said. "Yes," said Frog. "It is very nice, but is was hard work." I wish I had a garden," said Toad. "Here are some flower seeds. Plant them in the ground," said Frog, "and soon you will have a garden." "How soon?" asked Toad. "Quite soon," said Frog.
Toad ran home. He planted the flower seeds. "Now seeds," said Toad, "start growing." Toad walked up and down a few times. The seeds did not start to grow. Toad put his head close to the ground and said loudly, "Now seeds, start growing!" Toad looked at the ground again. The seeds did not start to grow. Toad put his head very close to the ground and shouted, "NOW SEEDS, START GROWING!"
Frog came running up the path. "What is all this noise?" he asked. "My seeds will not grow," said Toad. "You are shouting too much," said Frog. "These poor seeds are afraid to grow." "My seeds are afraid to grow?" asked Toad. "Of course," said Frog. "Leave them alone for a few days. Let the sun shine on them, let the rain fall on them. Soon your seeds will start to grow."
That night Toad looked out of his window. "Drat!" said Toad. "My seeds have not started to grow. They must be afraid of the dark." Toad went out to his garden with some candles. "I will read the seeds a story," said Toad. "Then they will not be afraid." Toad read a long story to his seeds. All the next day Toad sang songs to his seeds. And all the next day Toad read poems to his seeds. And all the next day Toad played music for his seeds. Toad looked at the ground. The seeds still did not start to grow. "What shall I do?" cried Toad. "These must be the most frightened seeds in the whole world." Then Toad felt very tired, and he fell asleep.
"Toad, Toad, wake up," said Frog. "Look at your garden!" Toad looked at his garden. Little green plants were coming up out of the ground. "At last," shouted Toad, "my seeds have stopped being afraid to grow!" "And now you will have a nice garden too," said Frog. "Yes," said Toad, "but you were right, Frog. It was very hard work."
Sleep does wonders doesn’t it? A day off. A long walk. Time to breathe. The fact is that lots of things grow best when we take time off from worrying about them. We get our best results in our gardens and in our lives when we learn the rhythm of a good life. When we work, really work. When we play, really play. And when we rest, really rest.
Three cowboys had been riding the range since early in the morning. One of them was a member of the Navajo Nation. Being busy with herding stray cattle all day, the three of them had found no time to eat. Toward the end of the day, two of the cowboys started talking about how hungry they were and about the huge meals they were going to eat when they reached town. When one of the cowboys asked the Navajo if he was also hungry, he just shrugged and said "no."
Later that evening, after they had arrived in town, all three ordered large steak dinners. As the Navajo proceeded to eat everything in sight with great gusto, one of his friends reminded him that less than an hour earlier he had told them that he was not hungry. "Not wise to be hungry then," he replied. "No food."
What would it be like if we learned - really learned - to live with a rhythm of life that allowed us to focus on what is at hand rather than worrying about the next thing? So often we hunger incessantly for the feast to come rather than taking just a moment to relish what we have and where we are. As the summer proceeds to unfold, consider what you might do - today - to rest awhile and allow your souls to catch up with your bodies.
