The Monday Memo: The Strategy of Rest
Let us think about the politics of exhaustion.
Chaos makes us tired. Tired people make mistakes. Tired citizens check out, lash out, or give up. Therefore, staying awake is an act of discipline, but sleep is an act of resistance. Refusing to let your peace be stolen—asserting your right to be awake to the danger and the injustice while still seeking peace at night—can become a political act.
This intention to be at peace and yet still alert lies at the heart of the 23rd Psalm, traditionally the best-known Psalm in English and an important part of our literary heritage:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
That is from the classical text of the King James Version. Most biblical scholars working in English today use the New Revised Standard Version. The scholarly footnotes in the NRSV reveal the tactical nuances we often miss:
The text reads still waters, but the footnote explains these are waters of rest. Function is more important than the scenery, the waters contribute to calm and rest.
Where we see restores my soul, we could read restores my life. You get your vitality back.
The NRSV calls the paths of righteousness, the “right paths.” They are critical, because the correct path is not merely the smart one but the moral one. It is mapped out integrity.
Likewise, goodness and mercy are flagged as kindness. A kindness that pursues you is a radical idea in times of trial and adversity.
And yet in all translations of the 23rd Psalm, the fifth verse is the highlight, the pivot: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. This is the composure that comes from faith in tomorrow and hope in the ultimate victory of justice over injustice. To remain composed, diligently composed is not surrender, or cowardice; it is actually hard and this requires rest first. The disorientation felt by many Americans over the events in Minnesota—especially the recent killing of Alex Pretti—is as dizzying as it is draining. In such times it is easy to become irritable and impatient with those around you because you are tired, weary, and worried. Do not surrender to the temptation to give up to exhaustion or uncontrolled rage.
Your assignment this week: be determined to not let your peace be stolen so as to render you ineffective for the things you must do. Reclaim your rest not to escape but to recharge so that you have the strength and confidence to sit at a table in the presence of your opponents and not be afraid to be good neighbors and citizens.
