“Sow your land for six years and gather in its crops, but in the seventh year leave it alone and give it a rest so that your poor may eat from it. What they leave, let the wildlife have.” (Exodus 23:11 MSG)
In the last few months, there has been a tremendous downturn in both the global health and economy. Productivity and consumption have been reduced as many people work remotely or are unemployed. Even essential workers spend less as their incomes are reduced. The future feels uncertain for everyone, but the poorest of the poor suffer most.
Is there anything positive that can come from this period of inevitable unproductivity?
The Bible prescribes sabbatical years where the land remains fallow. It is time to reset and restore. Unlike other biblical regulations, this one has been completely ignored as having no value in modern times. Why? We live in an era where monetary profit, by any means necessary, is held up as the goal. The poor are seen as lazy. Unproductivity is deemed evil. Busy-ness is confused with business--even when it is inessential.
Perhaps we can use this time to rethink our priorities, reevaluate what really matters. This time of retreat, if used thoughtfully, could bring us clarity. I, for one, have been doing the uncomfortable work of cleaning my mental closets--which have been filled with beliefs and habits that are no longer useful. Now that I have fewer distractions than before, I have more time to confront these predispositions. There is loss and grief. There is illness and instability. There is anxiety and uncertainty. Yet, even during these fallow phases of life, when I feel vulnerable and restless, I allow God to teach me what I need to learn and guide me in the direction I need to go.
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