Rest and Redemption
Where can we find rest? Research suggests that collectively, we in the UK spent roughly £64.2 billion on holidays in 2024. But rest is more than just relaxation or recreation. The insurer AXA estimates the cost to the UK economy of stress, burnout and other work related mental health problems at an astonishing £102 billion. And even if it doesn’t make us ill, many of us feel the urgent need for a rest.
The greatest theologian of the early Church, St Augustine, said our yearning for rest pointed to God; He prayed “You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” In our Ruth passage this week, we see how God provides rest for Ruth and Naomi by securing their future through a redeemer. What might that say to us as we search for rest?
Ed.