The change in speed could be quite disorienting. It feels like traveling in the expressway one moment and in a blink of an eye being transported to a remote village road. For those used to the fast-paced grind in the office, the extended community quarantine could be quite a shock. One way to take advantage of this hiatus is to allow our bodies and minds to relax a bit.

One of the banes of modern life is the stress that comes from working in the office. Humans have gone to the moon several times, scaled the highest peaks, and fathomed the deepest oceans. Scientists have invented gizmos to make life easier. Our era is considered to have the highest living standard in recorded history. Yet quite strangely, countless people are perpetually stressed, even depressed. We have accumulated so much material things, yet we hardly have time to enjoy them.

This time of quarantine presents an unmatched opportunity to let our bodies and minds take a much-needed breather. We are made in such a way that we need to pause and recharge our bodies regularly. God laid down a cycle of work and rest when He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day thereby establishing a pattern for all humanity.

When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He was perhaps the busiest person who ever lived. There were non-stop preaching and teaching activities. He was mobbed by the sick and infirm seeking healing. The Bible says that “Jesus could no longer openly enter a town…and people were coming to him from every quarter” (Mark 1:45).

In the midst of this frenetic life, we find Him rising early to meet His heavenly Father in prayer. “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35). When His disciples were tired and discouraged, He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat” (Mark 6:31).

Ultimately, the most important rest is spiritual rest. As Christians, we also know this as peace, the peace that Christ gives to all His followers (John 14:27). A Christian is someone who has given up on his/her striving to be right with God based on his/her works. Rather he/she relies on the righteousness that comes from Christ alone.