Peace. Be Still. Nap like Jesus.
Today’s biblical grounding: The world was falling apart, and what was Jesus doing? NAPPING?!?!?!?!
Yes. He was napping. In the back of the boat.
The waves were crashing. The storm was raging.
The disciples were working hard to make sure the boat didn’t capsize or sink.
And Jesus was napping.
It feels like I haven’t been doing anything.
Even if I’ve been doing something, it feels like I haven’t been doing enough.
Even if I’ve been doing enough, it feels like I should be doing more.
Why is sitting at home making me so tired?
Maybe it’s the emotional exhaustion.
Or maybe I’ve just been trained to think of certain kinds of productivity as worthy of exhaustion.
Or maybe the balancing act of parenting full time and working full time simultaneously is literally impossible. Full means no more room, right? How can I be full twice?
What if we were more forgiving of ourselves?
What if we took a nap?
Am I allowed to take a nap?
So many people are struggling right now.
And it feels wrong to take a nap when so many people are working so hard to keep the boat from sinking. And everything seems to be getting worse.
And confirmed cases are doubling. And it started out as 2 weeks of social distancing, but now they’re saying 8. And what if it’s longer than that?!
And there are so many things to prepare for.
And so many house projects I could be doing.
And so many TV shows to binge watch.
And so many books to read.
And so many awesome people live-streaming awesome things.
And the kids have to do their school packets.
And we have to support local businesses.
And
And
And
And
And
It feels wrong when the world is falling apart around me that I should just take a nap.
(Also, my 5 year old won’t let me take a nap)
But that’s exactly what Jesus did.
They woke him up and scolded him. A little over-dramatically, they accused him of not caring if everyone drowned.
So he walked up to the edge of the boat and said, “Peace. Be still.”
And the storm was still.
Sometimes I wonder if Jesus literally stopped the storm with his words, or if the miracle was that he changed our perception of the storm.
Either way, the most helpful thing Jesus could bring to the chaos was a sense of calm.
We’re in this for the long haul.
It’s okay to be tired.
It’s okay to be afraid.
It’s okay to be anxious.
It’s also okay to take a break. And nap.
Maybe we’re supposed to be less productive during a pandemic shutdown.
So I hereby decree, as the co-President of my high school’s Power Nap Club (yes, it was a real thing. We made international news for it.), I give you permission to take a nap. And permission to let your children have some extra screen time if that’s the only way you can get a nap.
Peace. Be still.
Pastor Jack
