I’m retired; my wife keeps reminding me of this. Yet, I am busier than ever. Part of it is because I have doubled down on my mission in life, which is to know things. I read the first couple of chapters of a book, and then skim the rest, because I’m too busy. This practice has ruined Steven King for me, even though I think he’s one of the smartest authors out there. I find gardening a relaxing hobby, but rarely do it without earphones and an audio book, usually a current nonfiction. I love Malcolm Gladwell, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and of course, father Richard Rohr.* They are each so prolific that I can’t keep up. They make me feel guilty. They’ve ruined my hobbies with my author-envy.
Jesus says to his disciples, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”
What follows in Mark are three unsuccessful attempts at looking for a quiet place. His persistence shows how much Jesus thought his disciples both deserved and needed a rest. How was the lord of heaven and earth going to provide it for them?
But note, Jesus asked his fisherman disciples to get in a boat and escape the crowds. They sailed out into the Sea of Galilee. As the shore dropped away, Peter and John’s blood pressure fell into the groove. They heard wind in the sails and the swish of water against the rough wooden hull. This mode of transportation provided an hour or two of much needed rest.
Jesus says to us, “Come to a deserted place.”
What does that mean to you? If each time we get in the car, we put on the radio, a book on tape (I’m that old), or even gospel music, and we miss out on the deserted mile, which exists inside every traffic jam.
But, there’s more. Jesus went into the desert intentionally. Christian tradition, especially when we consider the respected hermits of the first few centuries (this includes John on Patmos), normalizes the practice of extended retreats and sacrificial solitude. God sent Moses and most of the Old Testament prophets into the wilderness. Even the rebel prophet Jonah was sequestered in the whale’s belly for three days, far from decent wi-Fi. So may it be for each of us.
*Note the irony of my accusing today’s most vocal advocate for daily contemplation of disturbing my peace.