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Jesus Christ is saying “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Mathew 11, 28

Dear Readers,

People have different views and opinions. Whether masks help in this corona pandemic or curfews, many people argue about it. Whether cars should be banned from our inner cities and if cars with battery cells have a future. There is no agreement on this. The question what party in the political spectrum should run the government, may create arguments.

However, there is only one point which everyone agrees on, both, “mask opponents” and “mask wearers”, environmental activists and diesel drivers, socialists and liberals: From time to time people need rest and recreation. Everyone needs times in which they can recover from the stress at work, from the many demands of daily life. But not only managers are stressed. I also know of old people who are stressed by being isolated. Being confronted with a struggle of loneliness. And generally being overburdened by life in old age.

But it is not only external influences that make us restless. The scientist and philosopher Pascal says in one of his writings: 'The problems of restlessness lie within ourselves'. Humans are often unable to remain quietly in the room for an hour. We suffer from an addiction to scatter ourselves with all possible kind of distractions all the time. Social media channels permanently demand our attention.

Now Jesus says: "Come to me you all, who are weary and bear heavy burdens, I will give you rest”.

In this invitation I can visualize a harmonious triad:
 

1. Go to Jesus Christ. This will be the first step. Take time to seek the presence of God, away from the noise and hectic of everyday life. Become silent to talk to him. For once, put the smartphone aside and mute it. And of course, here is where the problems start. Taking time for God? This is a luxury for many. There are still so many things that are more important. But is that really true? Romano Guardini, the Catholic theologian, says about prayer: 'It can compare for the inner part of man to what bread represents for a hungry person,  it may feel like medicine for somebody sick  or like a flower for a man drying up in the grey everyday life'. Talking with God, having time for the source of life, that is like water for a thirsty person.

2. Tell Jesus Christ the burdens you currently have to struggle with. Go and tell him what makes your live difficult. If you lack your own words, you may pray with the words of the Psalms, for example. The prayers of others can make our own prayers easier. Of course God also hears what we say spontaneously. He listens to what torments us in sleepless nights. He hears the groaning of the soul. He is the expert of the heart! To pray with the words of a psalm also makes us aware that people in earlier times had to bear similar burdens, even if their life situation may have been quite different.

3. Jesus provides for rest. This rest has a special, unique quality. Jesus gives our soul his peace. The peace of God spreads within. Only Jesus Christ can give us this inner peace, which helps to become relaxed for the further journey ahead.. That frees us from aggression, impatience and stress. Whoever comes to rest in the presence of the living God can deal better with the challenges of everyday life. He finds the balance for his soul again. He rests in himself, because his soul rests in God's hand. 

I wish you that you will always find the time to talk to the Lord Jesus Christ. I wish you that you will receive new strength for your everyday life and the peace of God for your soul in his presence.