Photo by Dương Nhân
Torus Elsrud is a Swedish associate professor in sociology who wrote about taking time back from society. It is when we intentionally reclaim and prioritize our time and space in a world that often demands our constant engagement and involvement in various societal activities, obligations, and expectations. The sum of it can lead to feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from us and meaningful relationships.
"Taking time back" means deliberately stepping away from these external pressures and distractions to focus on self-care, personal growth, and reconnection with what truly matters to us. It involves setting boundaries, saying no to excessive commitments, and dedicating time to activities that promote well-being, introspection, and a sense of fulfillment. This can include spending time with loved ones, engaging in hobbies or passions, meditating, pursuing creative endeavors, or simply taking moments of solitude to recharge. It is an intentional act of balance and self-awareness in an increasingly busy and interconnected world.
This week’s liturgical reading is Romans 8:26-39 and verse thirty says, “…those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” But none of that matters if we don’t believe in ourselves but instead accept what society tells us about ourselves. Today’s social media is what we make of it. If we measure our worth by the level of engagement we achieve, then we’ll never be satisfied, and we will fall prey to the cruelty of society.
Paul knows how cruel his society could be to fellow Jews because he was part of it before his conversion. But then he also saw that cruelty when his former supporters tried to kill him after he dedicated his life to Christ. When he asked in verse 31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” He expressed his complete trust in God and that any accuser is nothing compared to that. That belief helped Paul persevere through his ministry's trials, and he encourages us to lean on this for strength today.
In II Corinthians 11:24, Paul wrote about how he suffered for following Christ, “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned … I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.”
In verse Romans 8:28, Paul tells the Romans and us that nothing in our lives is wasted, “…that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…” Yes, every season, good and bad, has its purpose, whether we can see it or not. Paul tells us that nothing we experience in those seasons “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The movie Chasing Mavericks speaks to me and fits with what Paul is writing about predestined calling, justification, and glory. I remember seeing it in the theater for the first time. The themes of father wounds, fatherlessness, and adoption by a caring father figure mentor were water to the parched earth of my fallow heart. I texted my friend, Rob, who had similar wounds, “Rob, you have to go see this movie!” Later that week, I received a text from him, “I bawled through the movie.” It impacted our hearts for weeks afterward. I still pull up the trailer occasionally to remember that feeling and take a few moments of time back.
The truth is that when life is going well, we tend to hit the snooze button with God. Like the prodigal son, we spend our inheritance and return to God, asking for time back when times get hard. But then, if we see someone suffering, it makes us uncomfortable, so we walk around them, like in the parable of the Good Samaritan. That is just how we humans instinctively operate and always will. God knows that all too well and reminds us to follow the Spirit and be compassionate.
The Christian life on earth is not a perpetual holiday. We will still encounter seasons of excruciating and almost unbearable suffering, sometimes at the hands of other Christians. But that suffering does not have the last word on us. John Calvin wrote: “All things which happen to the saints are so overruled by God, that what the world regards as evil, the result shows to be good.” In the suffering, we come to appreciate the tenacity of God’s love. God’s Spirit sometimes seems to use such misery to speed up what God’s beloved people call our sanctification.
Let the defining characteristics of our life be that we become winners by losing, and we gain life by dying and are victorious in all things that pain us. It is precisely for all these things that Jesus came into the world in the first place. Of course, we want happiness, good health, and loving relationships. But we may face trials instead. We may not escape depression or cancer, but they can’t conquer us. We may have doubts, but they won’t be victorious over us. We may have stubborn addictions that cling to us until the day we die, but God will have the last word. God always has the last word over his adopted children.
When Jesus was baptized, it didn’t guarantee he avoided experiencing temptation, demons, poverty, or death. Our baptism didn’t guarantee it either. We may experience random violence, broken relationships, untimely death of loved ones, poverty, health problems, or disability. Following Jesus into baptism ensures that God will hold us tight through it all because God loves us. God sends the Holy Spirit as our advocate to experience it and comfort us until we are in God’s presence.
We are in this together. You and me, along with the Holy Spirit, who guides and comforts. Let us pursue the intentional act of balance and self-awareness. Strive to resist the impulse to avoid those suffering in the dark valleys. Let us look for healthy ways to pull alongside those who suffer and be representatives of God’s tenacious love. Pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us so nothing can separate us from the struggling people we love.
This is the way.