Transforming Quarantine into Sabbath
The meaning of the Sabbath was a deliberate opportunity to step aside from productivity and responsibilities to reconnect with self, God, and neighbor. Both medically and psychologically it has been recognized that the constant stress of living is benefited from regular pauses to refresh ourselves. We have been hearing a lot about quarantine or self-isolation as a response to the current coronavirus. Generally, I suspect that even the thought of being in quarantine is viewed as a negative experience. What if we considered it as an opportunity to step aside from the demands of living to refresh ourselves?
Building a Bucket List
What I would suggest is that we begin to build a bucket list of ways that we could use a two-week Sabbath creatively. What if you had two weeks that were free of meetings, obligations, and demands? Or another way of thinking about it is to make a list of your occasional fantasy that began with the thought, “Someday, if I had the time I would like to . . . “
As you build your list, remember the three-fold benefit of a Sabbath. It is intended to reconnect yourself with God, self, and neighbor. You might think that isolation is contradictory to connecting with your neighbor but read on for some creative possibilities.
Begin with the Self
“If you had the time,” what would you like to do for self-improvement? Free your mind of what is possible and use your imagination. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to learn how to sew, cook, reorganize your photo album, learn the creative possibilities of the computer, or learn how to invest your finances wisely? There are internet courses and books that teach such things. You can go on YouTube and see videos on how to do most anything. You can proceed at your own pace and find several different ways to learn such things, “if you only had the time.”
Anticipation can build both excitement and joy. So, even before it is necessary, begin to make a list of things you’d like to learn how to do or understand better. I’ve always wanted to learn how to draw cartoons. I often get frustrated about not understanding how to take advantage of all the creative things my computer can do. I’d like to learn how to better organize my finances. What is on your list? As you develop the list, pay attention to your feelings. What would it feel like to learn how to write and then share your memoir with your grandchildren?
And Now the Neighbor
Just because you are confined in your apartment doesn’t mean you are cut off from your neighbors. First of all, you have access to your phone. How many people do you know who would benefit from having their loneliness interrupted by an enjoyable conversation? If you have access to facetime, zoom, or similar programs, you can make that a visual conversation. I have recently discovered how beneficial such visual conversations are with members of my family. It shrinks the miles, allows us to share smiles as well as words, and anticipation of such calls interrupts moments of loneliness.
Consider the delight that members of your family tree or even high school friends you once were close to would derive from receiving a hand-written letter from you bringing them up to date on the several things that you have enjoyed, learned, or accomplished in the last several years. You may have even thought about reconnecting “if you only had the time.”
Competition can build your enthusiasm
You now have the time to enjoy several of the games that exist on your computer. How about expanding that joy by learning how to compete with some friends or even strangers in an internet game of chess, checkers, or some other game.
Maybe you can develop a friendly game of what I call “Round Robin Writing.” Get a book or internet course on how to write a short story. Invite several friends, perhaps who are also self-isolated, to join you in jointly composing a short story. Exchange by phone or internet discussion of the theme of the story. Identify, name, and describe three or more characters, and develop a scenario in which the action will begin. Then agree on an order of participation, have person number one write the first paragraph or two of your story. Then have the second person add to the story with their paragraph, and continue around your circle, each building what has been written and then adding to it. You can use such programs as One Drive or Google to share in developing the story online. The story itself becomes an adventure in anticipation of each stage as different creative minds work together.
Combine self and neighbor connection
Find a couple of friends that can join you in your refreshment journey. If you decide to learn to paint and another friend decides to learn to play the piano, you could agree that you would take a phone picture every week on your latest effort at painting and your friend could send a recording of his or her progress with the piano. Given the overwhelming number of TV and streaming channels, one of you could read the review of your selected genre of movies and TV shows while the other is researching the best information on how to relax, meditate, or exercise for your health. Each of you is helping each other and you might even share your results on a blog or YouTube to benefit others.
Connecting with the greater purpose in life
Most religions and some of the best in psychology seeks to guide people in discovering their connection with that which is greater than the individual. It helps us see meaning in our lives beyond the moment. Christians study Jesus and commit to his way of loving and forgiving to contribute to the reconciliation of the world. Jews do the same in their study of the Torah. My agnostic friends yearn for more time to reflect on how to shape their lives in a way that contributes to a more meaningful life and a more peaceful society. Whether it be engaging in more Bible study or studying some of the great philosophers, how would it benefit you “if only you had the time” to reflect more deeply and perhaps share your thoughts with some interested neighbors?
Choosing your response
In the book Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl says that the last and most precious freedom of humanity is the freedom to choose how you will respond to your circumstances. He wrote that while being a prisoner in a concentration camp. To illustrate, he suggested that the Nazi guards could do anything they wanted to him except determine how he would respond. He could be angry at them, feel pity for them, laugh at them, or ignore them. The Coronavirus, like many threats in our world, can be deeply threatening. Only you can decide how you are going to respond. One possibility is to transform the possibility of self-isolation into the anticipation of an adventure in expanding your life. It might even get you excited. You might even want more than fourteen days. Maybe you could experience the Sabbath at regular intervals and improve your physical and mental health in the process—“if only you had the time..”
