Human being or doing?

Not everybody, and nobody all of the time, is aware of

this "eternal now" in the temporal "now."

But sometimes it breaks powerfully

into our consciousness….

- Paul Tillich, The Eternal Now (1963)

Are you a human being or are you a human doing?

My friend and pastor, the Rev. John Mennell, essentially posed this question in a recent sermon based on the Gospel of Mark. In the sixth chapter of this Gospel, the apostles share reports of their preaching, teaching and healing work with Jesus and he responds by commanding them to take some time away from the hustle and bustle of their ministry to rest. They had been working exceptionally hard, but they had failed to renew their own bodies and souls in their attempt to save others'.

How good are you at renewing your own body and soul amidst the seemingly inevitable busyness of modern life? In other words, are you a human being or are you a human doing?

In his sermon, one of the more amusing and also piercingly insightful observations that Rev. Mennell shared was that, unlike in the modern world, Jesus didn't listen to the reports of His apostles' productivity and then assign them higher goals for the next go-round. Instead, as is so often the case in the story of His life, Jesus went in an unexpected direction, encouraging his collaborators to renew themselves rather than to get back out on the road immediately.

We might say that Jesus was playing the 'long game,' but, in reality, he was teaching us yet another important lesson: one cannot share what one does not possess, and if we don't invest periodically in our own renewal, we'll find ourselves incapable of making our chosen contributions and pursuing our avocation successfully. Which is sound leadership advice, even in a secular context….

With this in mind, then, how good are you at renewing your own body and soul amidst the seeming inevitable busyness of modern life? In other words, are you a human being or a human doing?

In addition to physical rest, what are the pursuits that are uniquely restorative for/to you? How do you renew and refuel yourself in idiosyncratically meaningful ways … and at what interval(s)? If you are the least bit unclear, this is the very first restorative work that you must do right away ... and then you can begin to utilize these insights in a consistent way so that, over time, you can maximize both your contribution and your enjoyment of the journey.

By way of example, I'll share a few of my uniquely resonant renewal and restoration practices:

• Reading and reflection, especially about spirituality and topics of social interest/justice
• Writing, especially blog posts like this one, articles to be published in my LinkedIn series and/or letters to loved ones
• Resting by a body of water and allowing the wind and waves to soothe, salve and inspire my soul
• Sharing a communal meal with family, friends and/or new acquaintances
• Sharing an adventure with loved ones, both to savor the experience in the moment and to create a life-long memory
• Sharing the experience of the contemplative, spoken word worship service of my church

Is it mere coincidence, then, that when I pursue these activities I feel the presence of God most powerfully? I think not: in fact, I believe that this is exactly what Jesus was teaching us in Mark's scripture. Yes, I'll do a lot of other things on the days when I observe these practices, but in these moments, I will be and in so doing feel enveloped in the eternal timelessness of our Source. In these moments, I will experience what theologian Paul Tillich described as "time beyond time."

So, what restoration and renewal pursuits are especially meaningful for/to you? What are the things in your life that inspire, illumine and elevate your path … and how often - and consistently - do you engage in them? In other words, what is it that you do to celebrate, provide succor to and develop the unique being and Child of God you are?

As you reflect on your answers, I pray that you be fully present in the moment and, even more, that you realize that such an elevated experience of life is available to you always. In this way, may you always be clear that you are a human being and thus make choices in your life that align with and enhance this eternal reality in uniquely meaningful ways....

What are you going to do today to renew your body and soul and, in so doing, to become and be all that you can be?

Enjoy the journey....

We go towards something that is not yet,

and we come from something that is no more....

(I)t is infinitely more important that we not forget ourselves,

this individual being, not to be repeated,

unique, eternally precious, 

and delivered into our hands.

- Paul Tillich, The Eternal Now (1963)