I recently finished reading A.J. Jacobs’ “The Year of Living Biblically.” The book chronicles this fairly secular Jewish man’s attempts to follow the Bible as literally as possible for one year. I laughed. I repented. I loved it.
Jacobs attempts to follow dozens of Biblical laws, but the one he finds the easiest, or at least, the most pleasing, is God’s command in Exodus 20:8, “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” In fact, when his experimental year ends, Jacobs continues observing the Sabbath, even though he labels himself a “reverent agnostic.”
In the chapter titled, Month 8: April, Jacobs wrote the following passage: “I used to orient my week around Monday, the start of the secular workweek. Now it’s the Sabbath. Everything leads up to the Sabbath. On Friday morning I start prepping for it like I’m going on a big date…By the end of Saturday, as the sun finally sets, I feel as if I’ve done something strenuous but healthy, like I’ve taken a run through Central Park. I feel good, like I deserved the endorphin rush the Sabbath gave me. And then I start to look forward to next week’s Sabbath.”
He’s right. It is work to not work, but the more I don’t work, the more I can’t wait to not work on the same day next week. I’m completely sold on this crazy idea. My whole calendar is different because of it. My faith is different because of it. For crying out loud — I’m blogging because of it.
Only six days left!
