It is Good and Necessary If you search for the word “vacation” in the Bible, your results will come up empty. You also won’t find Jacob rounding up the kids to go to Universal Studios Canaan or Joseph and Mary taking Jesus and his brothers to Disney of Galilee. While those facts may make you think that vacations thus are “unbiblical,” I don’t think the absence of the word or our picture of vacations means this is the case for a couple of reasons.
I really enjoyed my vacation. I don’t do anything. I like having a period of time when I have no one to be responsible for except for myself. The life of a pastor is really 24/7. Although I am not always doing something, I am still responsible for the life of our parish and everything and everyone who makes things work for you.
One thing that vacations teach and remind me is that my work is important but that I am not essential and the world does not stop without me. Work is not inherently bad or evil, as it is a gift from God and part of what He made us to do, but we need to know that it is not ultimate and that we are not ultimate. Thus, taking time off of work for more than the Sabbath day is a tangible reminder of this and points us back to trusting God, not ourselves, and worshipping Him, not our work.
IIn doing so, we are reminded it is good and necessary not to neglect the weekly vacation day that God calls for us to take to rest from our labors and remember that He never slumbers or sleeps but is always working for our good, bestowing gifts like rest and sleep upon the people He made in His image.
I invite all of us to slow down (and not just when we are on vacation!). As Matthew Kelly reminds us, “Joy erupts within us when we allow an experience to touch the depths of our souls.” This cannot be rushed. It is time to slow down to the speed of joy. Fr. Matt