Let This Be A Season Of Sabbath (Breaking the Addiction to Productivity)

Follow The Calling

Apr 13

I was so quick to fill the space with new projects!

I’ve been back in Toronto for two weeks now (after my time to Guatemala), and it is only now that I’m beginning to catch my breath.

The first 5 days I was in a hotel room, sitting in quarantine and waiting to get the keys to my new place. Then I had to unpack the first load of my things in my new place and settle in.

But it wasn’t just the moving that took up my headspace. As soon as I was in my new house, I logged into Periscope and started livestreaming morning meditations. Now I finally have time to do that thing I always wanted!

Two days ago, I felt the strange urge to listen to Rob Bell’s podcast. I am not a podcast person. I don’t follow or listen to any podcasts.

However, I haven’t spent much time catching up with friends over Facetime since coming back, and I was probably craving some human interaction.

But not just any human. Rob Bell?

The impulse was so random, it had to be a gut thing. I found his podcast and clicked play on the latest episode.

The conversation started on COVID-19, as expected, but then weaved into a contemplation on our state of existence.

I will do my best here to articulate what I heard and what happened next...

The Prison of Productivity

In North America, which would appear to be an apex of the “modern” world, we are obsessed with productivity. Addicted. Tormented by it.

The new #StayHome measures mean that, for once, we are limited in our productivity. There are only so many things to do, so many places to go. Even if you try to cram in a workout, an epic cooking session and a full workout, there is space. Maybe not physical space, but certainly mental space.

Personally, I was looking forward to the space. I was tired of having to drive around the city every day. I welcomed this opportunity to stay home. Though my work and school are still happening, albeit online, things have slowed. We can’t work ahead into upcoming projects like we normally would.

Of course, I was tempted to dream up a new creative project to tackle, and I did. I started livestreaming on Periscope

Livestreaming is fun, but takes up a lot of energy and those broadcasts led to a whole new roster of ideas. I could put meditations onto Youtube, start a new channel, edit more edits, create another machine.

For the last week, I was working till 7 or 8pm in the evening. That’s more hours than I even do on a normal, commuter-style work day.

I found myself longing for rest, space and reprieve. When I just finish this one little task, then I’ll rest. It never came.

It never will.

Listening to Rob talk about this phenomenon brought me face-to-face with my issue.

I have bought into the religion of productivity. It’s not that productivity is a bad thing, but it is not infinitely advantageous. It has a point of diminishing returns. There is a point where doing more is harmful, where it becomes a coping mechanism.

I’d even say that we overproduce, achieve and strive, because we do not know how to live.

I want to know how to live.

In the Old Testament, there is a story about God freeing the people of Israel from slavery. The Israelites used to live in peace in Egypt but they became slaves when one pharaoh saw how big their population was and wanted to control them. Unceasing labour it was. God comes in, unleashes a series of plagues and miracles and forces the pharaoh to release the Israelites. Once they’re out, God gives them new rules. New ways to live. One of these is the commandment to make one day holy and rest on the Sabbath, the 7th day. This was a Big Idea for them, because it was a day to remember that they are no longer slaves to work.
They needed a day to remind themselves that they were free.

I am guilty. I confess.

But I can change this. I can’t necessarily change the First-World Productivity Machine, but I can choose to step out of it -- at least periods of times, so that I can see it for what it is.

That will be a lifelong journey.

But for this week, for the next few weeks that I’m staying a home, I’m letting my foot off the gas pedal.

I choose to make this A Season of Sabbath

I will breathe into the space, not choke it out with more items on my to-do list. I will lay down my creative projects (anything that can wait), and do only the necessities. I want to feel what it’s like to be at peace with my own soul again.

I don’t need to wait till my next trip to Italy to taste la dolce vita or go to Costa Rica to find pura vida. It is here, now. Ya, it might be harder to savour the sweetness of life without the gelato, but I can do it.

It happens when I watch the colour of my water change as it meets tiny flower buds in my morning cup of tea. It happens when I open my front door and breathe the sweet scent of spring rain.

It happens when I smile.