Pauses
I continue to gain helpful insights from Ken Gire's book, "The Reflective Life". The focus that connected with my spirit today had to do with the importance of deliberately creating pauses in our lives. Even though I have formerly 'retired' from active pastoral ministry, busyness has not ceased to be part of my life. I know that I'm supposed to have more time to do less but that is, in fact, not the case.
As I read further this morning, I was reminded of one occasion when Jesus deliberately created pauses. When the accusations condemning the woman caught in the act of adultery were flying thick and fast, Jesus created a pause by bending and writing something on the ground. "Into that pause flowed the crowds attention, preparing them for the words that followed". Then came those searching words, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her". Then Jesus bent down again and wrote on the ground and, in so doing, created another pause. "This time, though, what flowed into the silence was the crowd's guilt".
I'm not good at creating pauses in my life. Surely the observance of the Sabbath day was meant to be a pause in the lives of believers in the Old Testament. And what do we make of Jesus' words to His disciples recorded in Mark 6:30-31,
"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
That sounds remarkably like Jesus was creating a pause so they could get some rest in the busyness of life and ministry. I need to reflect on this truth quite a bit more I suspect.
