Spiritual lessons for Labor Day, when the rest is noise 

As many of us take a much-needed break during the Labor Day weekend, Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones urges us to make rest part of our spiritual practice.

“Notes on faith” is theGrio’s inspirational, interdenominational series featuring Black thought leaders across faiths.

For my people lending their strength to the years, to the

   gone years and the now years and the maybe years,

   washing ironing cooking scrubbing sewing mending

   hoeing plowing digging planting pruning patching

    dragging along never gaining never reaping never

               knowing and never understanding…

Excerpt from “For My People” by Margaret Walker

“When was the last time you designed your rest? Or the last time you invested in how well you recuperated after exerting yourself? What nutrients are you putting in your body to make sure you heal? When was the last time you slept soundly?”

A few years ago, I asked a congregation these questions. Afterward, a single mother approached me to tell me she had been working so hard for her family that she had never really thought about how she mended. When she reflected on the quality of her sleep, she realized that for 20 years, she had been sleeping on a twin bed and had never focused on her comfort after a hard day’s work. But the thing is, sleep is an involuntary activity of the body. Healthy people require quality sleep. Flourishing people voluntarily rest.  After that sermon, she designed, planned, and invested in her rest, reporting later that her quality of life and work balance greatly improved.

As we observe Labor Day, it offers an opportune moment to reflect upon the balance of work and rest in our lives and how the latter often remains overshadowed. Let us take a cue from the invisible laborers in our midst, the people who are the literal machines behind what we do — the responsible and dependable people, the ones we can count on to get stuff done. More than just a day off, Labor Day can serve as a reminder of the deep, spiritual importance of rest — a practice both ancient and timeless but often overlooked in our 24/7 connected world. Most importantly, commend yourself for getting things done by taking the time to design and luxuriate in the reset that comes from the voluntary activity of rest.

Unfortunately, “We’ve got work to do” is never something we have to be convinced of. We’ve also got a lot of rest to catch up on, too, for our ancestors and for our unbreakable souls. The legacy of stereotypes surrounding Black people and laziness still haunts us, but newsflash — lazing is healthy. Just call it “leisure,” like everyone else. 

Rest is the ultimate expression of freedom; that is, being able to turn away from our own efforts and do nothing. To make it a regular practice? That is true liberation. 

In theologian Tricia Hersey’s book “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto,” she joins a tidal wave of public figures urging us to rest by introducing people to a “nap ministry.” “Rest is radical because it disrupts the lie that we are not doing enough,” writes Hersey, who refers to herself as “the Nap Bishop.” “Rest is resistance. Rest is reparations. … [We are] grateful for the metaphysical, the telepathic, and the deep knowing that our worth is not connected to how much labor we can withstand,” she continues. “This rest message is a message of power over oppression. Rest is balm. We will rest!”

The restful resources in Hersey’s proposal are echoed throughout the world. Ancient traditions teach the concept of setting aside one day a week for rest (doing nothing), and rejuvenation is deeply ingrained in many world cultures and religions. The sages of old knew something about self-preservation we often forget today: the holistic well-being of the individual requires a balance of work and rest.

What are the moments you take to deeply reflect, journal, or just let time pass? Whew! That last one is hard: Letting time pass without any anxiety about being lazy. During our moments of “rest,” we may forgo being “on” and take the time to unplug by participating in activities that bring us comfort. Embracing “rest” moments that guide us to do soul work can be just as rewarding — if not life-sustaining. Engaging in meditation, retreating to nature, or connecting to a spiritual community may add richness to understanding soul rest.

Rest is both a physical necessity and a spiritual practice, allowing our bodies to put themselves back together again. In moments of solitude, we reconnect with ourselves, with nature, and with the greater cosmos. It is in these serene intervals that we often find clarity, insight, imagination, and a deeper connection to our purpose. We are able to refuel. Without rest, we deprive our spirits of these rejuvenating moments.

Embracing the spiritual practice of rest transcends all planes and also sets a tone for our everyday activities, reminding us to tend to the rejuvenation of our minds while aligning our bodies with our compass, our spirit.  This way of seeing spiritual rest will also enhance our view of our connectedness to the Divine. This connection to the Divine reinforces balance, and our sufficiency is rooted in and all around us — as we pour out, we must be poured into.

This Labor Day, let us not just celebrate the achievements of workers but also recommit to the spiritual practice of rest. By consciously setting boundaries, disconnecting from our digital tethers (use those “away” messages!), and dedicating time to stillness and introspection, we can reintroduce the balance that our ancestors knew was essential. After all, in the rhythm of rest and activity lies the secret to a fulfilled life.

As we honor the labor that has built our nations and communities, let us also remember to get away from the noise and honor the quiet, the calm, and the stillness regularly. For in rest, we find not just recovery but also revelation.

For the ancestors, we stop doing.

We are not our labor

We rest, which is our investment.

We are our peace, with nothing missing or broken.

With great joy, we release, relax, and do nothing as an expression of true freedom.

May our unavailability be a revelation to us about Whose we are.

May we reap, know, and comprehend this harvest.

Our rest is our way of possessing ourselves and making sure that we give ourselves the best first and always.

Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones is a faith leader helping people to find their groove in a fast-paced world, as a consultant for various arts and faith organizations and professor of music in contemporary societies at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. She is an award-winning author of Flaming? The Peculiar Theopolitics of Fire and Desire in Black Male Gospel Performance (Oxford University Press). For more information, please visit DrAlisha.com.

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