"Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives and His disciples followed Him." (Luke 22:39 NIV)
Jesus had a life rhythm of reflective retreat. His last trip to Gethsemane was not a random impulse, but a a regular destination. Jesus knew how to step out of His personal chaos and into His Father’s healing presence, and He made it a habit.
Yesterday I spent several hours painting a porch swing. We are still making the Lemon Drop ours and that lovely porch simply requires a swing. Rob and I assembled and hung it on Friday, so Saturday’s task was making it match the house. As I coaxed the wood slats to white, I listen to Carey Nieuhof’s most recent podcast featuring John Eldredge. What a conversation! If you have been following my blog a while, you’ll remember how revolutionary John’s writings on restoration have been for me. He’s written a new book entitled Resilient, and after yesterday’s interview, I need to get my hands on it.
The discussion centered around the ramifications of a global pandemic on our souls. He proposed that all of it: the masks, the interruptions, the isolation, the supply shortages, the fear-mongering on the television, the national divide that widened and the deteriorating political climate had a disastrous affect on our personhood. He even went so far as to label the last two years as traumatizing, and while I am reluctant to overdramatize, I can’t argue with the evidence. The latent effects of trauma include: persistent fatigue, irritability, sleep disorders, nightmares, depression, avoidance of emotions, numbness, disproportionate anger and emotional disregulation. I needn’t look any further than my junior high classroom to observe these symptoms abounding. John believes the outbursts we are seeing on airplanes and in checkout lines are the evidence of people strung far too tightly for far too long. He proposes that the majority of Americans are functioning at just 40% of capacity because they are still coping with what has transpired in the past couple years.
This makes sense. We are a nation on edge. Look at the national news. It is filled with insults and accusations and violence and murder. The media wants to blame gun control for the recent rash of violence, but the far larger issue is an entire country that is tapped out emotionally.
There is good news though. John Edlredge says we can come back from the brink and the prescription is fairly simple. He implores us to engage in a holy pause a few times each day. He believes that a few minutes alone with God will make all the difference. This is not splashing around in the shallows (surface stuff like dinner plans and to-do lists) or even the middles (our concerns and preoccupations) but all the way in the deep end of our soul (true connectedness and rest). Johns says if we will sit with God regularly, if we’ll surrender everyone and everything in reoccurring, short sessions, our hearts will begin to heal.
Honestly, friend, I got so excited listening to this conversation because it resounds with my experience. John’s description of holy pause is so much like Peter Scazzero’s daily office that has already profoundly effected my overall peace. Just a few minutes a day since the beginning of the year has felt like coming up for air.
What is even cooler is how John has developed an app and it’s free. (Free might be my new favorite adverb in this economy!) Consider downloading One Minute Pause. It’s easy to use and a little less daunting than sitting in utter silence. You can schedule personal reminders so that Jesus’ usual practice becomes your usual practice as well.
Let’s bring this back to Him. Jesus had the habit of getting away with His Father. This was more than just a coping mechanism. Jesus valued His divine relationship enough to reprioritize His day around it. In those moments away from the crush of the crowd, Jesus was able to remember who He was: beloved son. He was reminded why He was here: the salvation of many. He was encouraged about the future: the Kingdom was coming and He could see it. In His holy pause, Jesus was able to decompress from the world and restore Himself to the Father fully. (If He needed that daily, how much more do we?)
Think with me about the timing of this last visit to Gethsemane. Jesus had so strongly built His habit of stepping out of the current and into the presence of His Father that when it mattered most, He was already on His way. Jesus instinctively knew the best way to relieve the pressure and fear that was building internally. He didn’t hide from it, He didn’t numb it with entertainment or inebriation, He didn’t busy Himself to avoid it altogether. He took Himself with all His cares and concerns straight to His Father.
It is additionally remarkable that on that very last visit to Gethsemane, Jesus allowed His disciples, even invited them. I’ve tended to preach this with an eye toward compassion. People need each other. Jesus needed companionship and the ministry of presence in the dark night of His soul. And that’s probably true, but today I see a generous Savior opening the door to His personal prayer closet so His closest friends can see in. It almost feels like sacrifice, Jesus sharing this precious exchange with ordinary people. It’s instructional: Jesus letting the eleven see the secret of surviving, and even thriving under persecution. He was handing them the tools for their own cultivation of a healthy soul.
I’m encouraged, aren’t you? As the pressure of the world continues to mount, we have a method to soothe our harried souls. It’s an ancient method, but that means it’s trusted. The Lord is inviting us today to step out of the fray and instead, rest in Him.
"...He said to them, come with Me by yourself to a quiet place to get some rest." (Mark 6:31 NIV)
Lord, thank You for sharing Your secret place with us. We are wowed by what we find in the Father’s presence. It feels too simple to be so powerful. Help us adopt these habits. Make our souls healthy again. Amen.