The Bishop of Shrewsbury has advised Britain’s exhausted workers to take some time out of their busy schedules and recharge their spiritual batteries. In a letter to churches in the diocese, the Rt Rev Mark Rylands said the British made a virtue out of unceasing work and tended to rely on being busy as a way of feeling important.
“We feel guilty when we’re not working and we’re suspicious of anyone who lifts their nose from the grindstone too long,” he said.
He compared Britain with France, which has more national holidays per year and an annual shutdown in August, when most people head to the beach or mountains for their holidays.
Despite working more hours, he said it was debatable whether Britain was any more productive than its neighbour across the Channel, pointing to the fact that British workers have one of the highest records in Europe for taking days off work due to illness.
“In our fast paced world, tales of emotional exhaustion and spiritual bankruptcy are not uncommon and stress is a recognised illness. People feel stretched and overloaded – indeed it is expected of them!” he said.
“We were not, however, designed to be forever on the go. Fast paced lifestyles and little sleep rob us not only of energy but also of relationships.”
The bishop said this was a particular danger for the Church “where it is all too easy for work and ministry to become the other woman or man in a marriage”.
He said society needed to relearn the art of resting and making time for God, and that the church in particular needed to model a healthy rhythm of work and rest.
Jesus, although working long hours teaching and healing, knew how to step away from the demands laid upon him and take time to reconnect with God, he said.
“Exhaustion is a fact of life,” he said. “The prophet Isaiah reminds us that even young people grow tired and become weary. He tells us that the remedy for weariness is rest, waiting on God, waiting to be filled with his strength. So if the prophets recognised the need for spiritual refuelling and Jesus prioritised time alone with his father, how much more do we need it?”
Bishop Rylands spoke of his concern for the young and old who “seek oblivion” in alcohol, and the commonplace use of anti-depressants among Brits.
“People are yearning for real rest as the lie of consumerisms’ ability to satisfy in any meaningful way is being exposed,” he said.
“This deep recession gives us an opportunity and a choice. It could mean that we go on blindly working harder and harder to obtain the things we have grown used to possessing; or it could mean a time to take stock and count our blessings for what we enjoy.”
He concluded his letter by calling upon the church “as a creator of community” to model the true worth of human beings as men and women made in the image of God.He said: “Making room for the marginalised and the newcomer, providing opportunities for people to meet, relax, play together and strengthen friendships, is a wonderful way to help people belong and feel cherished.”
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