As we think about ministry to veterans, let me remind you of some aspects of the concept of Sabbath. It is important to move beyond associating Sabbath with simply a time to go to church. When you read the story about creation in Genesis 1, you will note that the only non-animate part of creation that God blesses is that of the Sabbath. (Genesis 2:3) The word “to bless” carries with it the meaning of the power to impregnate. We retain some of that meaning when we refer to a birth as a blessed event. The implication for the meaning of the Sabbath is that the practice of Sabbath has the power to create new life. The rhythm of sabbath suggests that we need to interrupt our productivity on a regular basis to catch our breath and in doing so we can generate new life.
If you look back on the list of symptoms of PTS listed in Wednesday’s blog, you will notice that the impact of the trauma is tearing life apart. The image supplied in the Genesis 1:2 is that of a formless void in which chaos reigns supreme. Life can’t exist in chaos. So God speaks a word and begins to bring order out of chaos, light out of darkness. When life begins to fall apart and the enemies of chaos seem to surround us, we need a Sabbath experience to enable us to step back from the chaos and listen for a word from God that can bring renewed order to our lives.
While we are particularly speaking about the veteran, it is true for any of us that the chaos of life is less threatening if we establish a regular rhythm that causes us to step outside of our efforts to accomplish things in life on a regular basis. You will recall that when Jesus was asked how to summarize the law, he focused on the critical nature of relationships — loving God and loving neighbor as our self. While the Puritans in this country focused on the aspect of ceasing work for their understanding of the Sabbath, the Europeans emphasized that it was a time to focus on relationships. Consider the power of stopping on a regular basis to focus on reconnecting with God and neighbor. When chaos is powerful, that may have to happen for a few minutes several times a day.
Providing some specific guidelines for how to practice sabbath even in small time slots during a day or week might provide some structure that could nurture a person when their life begins to fall apart. Making them aware that they could use the sanctuary as a way to make use of the symbols of faith could assist in this.
