"…and on the seventh day God rested."     — Genesis 2:2

When you think of religious people, you don’t tend to think of then resting.  They always seem to be busy sticking their noses into other people’s business.  But, no matter what your religious or spiritual views, it is interesting that many major religions stress the need to spend time unstressing.  In Christianity, this is known as "otium sanctum", or "holy leisure". 

This usually doesn’t just mean being completely comatose, or partying too hardy, but in taking time to be quiet enough to notice the beauty in everyday things.

So, What’s Holy?

Perhaps we should replace the word "holy" with "sublime".  Holy has become a heavy-duty word over the generations, usually making people tense up by the end of the first syllable.  But holy is actually meant to be able to find the grace and interconnectivity to everything.  Finding something "holy" in your holy leisure means that you have found some instance that you are not alone and that something else in this world gives a darn about something else.

For example, I like to watch clouds drifting across the sky, a spider spinning her web or the way my goldfish swim.  These are sublime, holy moments that lift me out of the everyday grunge and grind of modern life.  This lets me know that my problems are not all there is to existence.  These are the things that I consider holy leisure. You may find something different that works for you.

Should We Schedule It?

Some people need to schedule their moments of holy leisure.  I don’t like to.  I like to let the moments pop up when they present themselves.  Both approaches are a valid way of making sure you get a time out from, as Shakespeare puts it, "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune".  Whether you pencil in moments of meditation or just let yourself grab an opportunity to just float in the moment is up to you. 

If someone ever chides for "being lazy" at times when you legitimately need to relax, you could always tell them that God told you to take holy leisure.  This usually shuts them up fast.

Hope this helps.

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