Almost every religious practice has a specified day of rest, accompanied by some list of suggestions and rules about what should and should't be done on that day.
In a college writing class, we were assigned to write a paper in defense of something, and I chose to support the practice of observing a day of rest.
I recognized that for many folks, it was part of their obedience to a religion's rules, which by itself could bring feelings of satisfaction and congruence with that system.
However, I thought that there were other ways that a day with a difference could be beneficial. It could be a day to slow down and examine how things were going in general, to look ahead and plan or set goals. Useful visits to other people could be made, some out of duty and others just for grins. It could be an excuse to read or play an instrument, or do other things for which there didn't seem to be time in the usual schedule.
Physically, taking a day off occasionally is prescribed by almost everyone in the exercise sphere. Giving things a chance to repair looks like it helps in every discipline. Even the Tour de France has two 'rest days' planted in its arduous schedule.
Yeah, but doesn't taking a day off decrease productivity and profit? Perhaps, and retailers and restaurants recognize that giving customers an extra day to stop by helps the bottom line. However, if they were not open one day out of seven, wouldn't pushing those visits to the other six days make up for it? Maybe not completely, but employees and bosses might both benefit, and necessary purchases would likely just be shifted a day either way.
OK, so as I recall, and it's been over fifty years since the writing assignment, I got an OK grade on the paper. However, that class was taken during my freshman or sophomore year, before I realized that I needed to get ready for the MCAT's and get better grades to have any chance of getting into medical school. Yeah, I had fun skiing and messing around those two years, but reality soon ruined the party, and just in time.
During those fun years, I dated a thoroughly good young woman who had a real influence for better on me. I liked her a lot, and if she asked me to do something, I did it. She suggested that I should quit doing schoolwork on Sunday, so I did. Lo and behold, my grades improved. She made the same suggestion about attending the weekly Activity Night organized by the Church, and believe it or not, the effect on my schoolwork the other nights of the week seemed to more than make up for it. Since then, with great relief, even during the most intense times of my medical training I've left studying alone on Sundays, and this has apparently had a good effect. Rather as evidence of the efficacy of this practice than bragging, I ended up in the top 2.5% of my med school class, and qualified for a top-tier residency training program at Duke.
So, should everyone go to church on whatever constitutes their day of rest? It probably wouldn't hurt. Being reminded to act with integrity and purpose in life seems like a good thing. I think that remembering the needs of others less fortunate would help the world. Even without a religious reason to do so, stopping to think about the higher things in this life would surely help.
I recognize that for many people in the world, taking a day off is an unrealistic luxury, and that for many of the rest of us, it's a day to just try and claw back to normal for the coming week, much less try and get to some more exalted plane.
However, from my admittedly narrow personal experience, I suggest that for whatever reason, you should consider making some day of the week different from the others.
Unless this is the first of my blog entries that you've read, you know that I'm an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and yes, we're asked to observe the Sabbath. Some good-intentioned folks in the faith have come up with restrictive lists of what shouldn't be done on the day. However, I have learned that there are so many great ways of benefiting from this day that you really don't have to worry about avoiding the 'bad' stuff. I have a rock-solid belief in the benefits and blessings of the day, and the good that can come from making it different.
Give it a try! And who knows? Maybe you'll wise up and realize that going to medical school really isn't a good idea after all.
Dave
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