Rest, Resist, Repeat
Please have no shame in being weary.
I have been feeling weary—for me, that’s a state of my soul beyond “just tired,” and I have been feeling like maybe I haven’t been doing enough—enough to stop the craziness that’s going on in the world, mostly. Since I don’t look at email or the news in the evening any more, I woke up to news of the U.S. bombing of 3 nuclear sites in Iran this morning. I commend to you an historical summary from Heather Cox Richardson, a poetic reflection from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer: U Pick, a prayer poem from Marin Tirasbassi, and a theological summary from Diana Butler Bass: War and Prophetic Ecstasy.
How are you doing today, really?
I realized this week, however, after writing my Wednesday reflection: What are our practices of noticing joy? that at least for me, that doing more is not the answer just at the moment. Rather stopping to notice joy and to rest are practices that are going to help me make it through and make it possible for me to connect with others so we all can find both the purpose (joy) and the resilience (through joy and rest) to resist the cruelty and inhumanity that is happening around us. In that reflection I included this quote:
We will prepare a sacred space for you to rest. We want to wrap ourselves in a blanket made of hope. We will rest. Joy is our birthright. Pleasure is our balm. Rest is our resistance.
Tricia Hersey, Rest is Resistance, (p. 34). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition.
I did some edits on a sweatshirt I got for my birthday this year for this picture:
All of this came together a bit later in the week in a song.
Rest, Resist, Repeat by Nancy Willbanks
Please have no shame in being weary. Please stop to find a spark of joy. We aren't machines to keep on doing. We're human beings born to love. Rest is resistance. Rest. Resist. Repeat. Rest is resistance. Rest. Resist. Repeat. Rest. Resist. Repeat.
If you need a mantra or chant for these days, you could just start at “Rest is resistance” and repeat as much and as many times as necessary until it seeps into your bones that rest, being love, being loving, finding joy is what is necessary to stand up against and take the next hopeful and right step to resist hate, greed, fear, cruelty, etc.
Reflection Questions
Are you weary? Are you feeling shame or guilt that you aren’t doing more? Do you ever remind yourself that you are a human being, not a human doing? What is your relationship with rest, and perhaps with sleep in these days? Do you resist rest? Do you regard rest as an essential part of your life? Are you numbing joy while numbing yourself to overwhelm?
July/August book group
We will meet biweekly, Thursdays, noon Eastern, on July 10, 24, Aug. 7, 21 on Zoom.
Mariann Edgar Budde, How We Learn to Be Brave—Has 7 chapters plus intro & Epilogue, so it would be something like two chapters each time we meet. (1st Meeting: Intro/Ch. 1-2; second: Ch. 3-4; third: Ch. 4-6; last: Ch. 7/Epilogue.)
Let me know that you’re in for this book group session, so I can send you a reminder with the zoom link.
You are always invited to join these communities where I sing, that offer connection, support and hope, help strengthen our playfulness, share joy, have fun, and lament:
You are always welcome at Monday Morning Grounding, if you can make it, at 10 a.m. Eastern. This is a space that offers welcome and acceptance, song, readings, space for play, grief, fear, and connection. We do have fun, even as we mourn, listen, and sing. We will meet next on June 23.
You can also join me and friends at Heart Songs. We sing at 7:30 p.m. Eastern/6:30 p.m. Central, on Zoom. Over the summer we are meeting monthly, and we’ll meet on July 7 and August 11.
Register here to join Music that Makes Community for a Summer Solstice Virtual Sing on June 23, 8-9 pm Eastern, 7-8 pm Central.
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If you’re not already on my MailChimp list to receive my longer reflections each Wednesday, you can subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/ilgIE9. Click here to read this last week’s Wednesday reflection: What are our practices of noticing joy?
