Seventy-five years ago, in July 1938, the Holidays With Pay Act gave some 11m UK
workers the right to one week’s paid holiday, plus bank holidays, each year.
Today most have at least 28 days plus bank holidays. Yet according to the
Office for National Statistics, in 2011 only 15 per cent of adults said they
were highly satisfied with their work-life balance; about 36% had “medium
satisfaction” and almost half “low satisfaction”. Does that mean we are fed up with work and want yet more leisure? Or are the stresses of austerity getting to us? Summer is a good time to reflect on how to make the most of leisure.
Leisure in the Bible
Recuperation Leisure is built into the fabric of the world. A weekly
day off work is essential for wellbeing and is commanded by God (Exodus 20:8-11).
In addition, the Old Testament sanctioned numerous “bank holidays” and “wakes
weeks” which had a religious basis but were times of relaxation, feasting and
fun (e.g. Leviticus 23). And when work demands increased, Jesus took his
disciples for a short break (Mark 6:30-32).
Enjoyment Paul says God
gave us everything “to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17); we can’t enjoy things we don’t
make time for. The OT wisdom literature advocates taking pleasure in all things
(Ecclesiastes 3:12,13; 5:18-20). Jesus attended weddings and contributed wine (John
2:1-11). He went to dinner parties so often that he was accused of enjoying
himself too much (Luke 7:34). However, the Bible frowns on the self-indulgent
extremes of hedonistic pleasure-seekers (Amos 6:4-6; Luke 12:19; Ephesians
5:18). Pleasure is a by-product of leisurely pursuits; when it’s sought for its
own sake it’s subject to the law of diminishing returns.
Reflection The Sabbath was intended to take our mind off daily
existence so that we stop to focus on the big things of life. While that
includes remembering and worshipping our creator, there’s more to reflect on than
that. The songs of the Bible express wonder at the physical creation (Psalm 19;
104). Solomon’s wisdom was based on leisurely observation of, and reflection
on, the natural order (1 Kings 4:32-34). And Jesus told us to “consider the
lilies” as we contemplate life’s priorities (Matthew 6:28). In our busyness we
can lose our appreciation of, and connectedness with, the world around us.
Leisure and the
church
The church has a chequered record on leisure. Tertullian (2nd
century AD) said pleasure turns
people away from God. Augustine (4th century) said eating was sinful
if it was done for pleasure. Calvin, by contrast, in the 16th
century said that God gave us food both for sustenance and enjoyment. Medieval
Catholicism had 115 holy days (holidays) each year, many of which were observed
as and feasts, but as urbanisation increased the numbers were reduced. John
Milton in the 17th century saw education as a useful preparation for
both life and leisure.
The Puritans encouraged leisure pursuits but hedged them
with many fussy rules.1 Some of these persisted in conservative
Christian groups well into the mid-20th century. Today, perhaps, the
pendulum has swung the other way and restraint isn’t always regarded as cool.
”Having a good time” can mean throwing off restraints; drunkenness and
“recreational” sex and drugs are accepted as normal. Excess or misuse devalues
that which is intrinsically good.
Making the most of leisure
today
Leisure is time given to doing what we choose to do, as
opposed to what we have to do. In a 24/7 society where leisure is an “industry”,
it’s not easy to set aside some time, let alone a whole day, for rest,
reflection and enjoyment. Maybe some things can be left out of (or left for) a
“sabbath” day (not necessarily a Sunday), just to make it feel more restful. But
leisure isn’t simply about doing (or not doing) things, nor about set holidays.
It’s an attitude of mind.
Psychologists talk about “mindfulness”: “a state of being
that focuses on what we have at this moment” and remembering that “I am not a
human doing, I am a human being”.2 Mindfulness is a
deliberate pause, a kind of meditation, in which we become conscious of our
breathing, our existence, our surroundings. It’s only a short step from this to
Christian contemplation, which focuses on the presence, gifts and attributes of
God. Even a few minutes’ such reflection can calm and relax us: “A poor life
this if, full of care, / we have no time to stand and stare.”3 Or time
to pray to and worship the source of that life: “Be still, and know that I am
God” (Psalm 46:10).
Mindfulness can turn unpaid home-making from a chore to a
meaningful activity. Think of it as a service: “Who sweeps a room, as for thy
laws, / makes that and the action fine.”4 Or use it to stimulate
wonder and gratitude: look around at all you have – the vacuum cleaner included
– and be thankful for it, for the human ingenuity that designed it, the
electric supply that powers it. Or adjust the definition of “necessity”: I
don’t have to cut the grass but the
garden is nicer and more enjoyable if I do.
People with young children may have to sacrifice solo
leisure pursuits for a while, but playing in the park is also a leisure
pursuit: whether we enjoy it depends entirely on how we approach it. Retirement
can make everything blur into a continuous activity. Making a distinction
between say cleaning or gardening (and calling it “work”) and going to the
theatre or for a walk (calling that “leisure”) can bring a degree of balance
and rhythm into our life.
If we’re not careful leisure can become another tiring round
of activity. Like the archetypal tourist hurrying from site to sight, we
collect experiences but don’t give time reflect on them, to allow them to soak
in, as it were, and enrich our “soul”. Some people find it hard to switch off
from work; many admit to checking work emails on holiday. Even social media can
clutter our leisure. A survey by eBay found that two out of five women cannot
go for more than an hour without checking their phone or tablet for messages;
48% have taken a call while on a date; and 17% said they had taken a call while
making love.5 We hate to miss anything.
Doing nothing is not a waste of time. Doing nothing in a
mindless, sleep-walking way is. Leisure is a precious gift; unwrap it
carefully, enjoy it mindfully, and be thankful!
Think and talk
1. Keep a record of
how you spend your time each day for a week, in 15 minute segments. Include
sleep, personal care, housework, meals, commuting, work, family activity,
hobbies, outside activities, TV – everything that takes time. Where might you
need to make some adjustments?2. What can you do to mentally and physically separate “work”, “chores” and “leisure”, giving adequate time for all?
3. Give yourself time to look up the Bible references above, and reflect on what message they may have for you.
References
1. Historical
information is taken from Leland Ryken, Work
and leisure, IVP 1989, chs 3&4.2. Andrew Bienkowski & Mary Akers, The greatest gift, Simon & Schuster 2009, pp. 100,103.
3. William Henry Davies
4. George Herbert, “Teach me, my God and King”.
5. Reported in The Times, 15 July 2013
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