the rest

A tight-knit cast shares a lot of things. We share laughter, we share tears. We are together for meals, fun times, prayer, and crisis. Often, we see one another outside the walls of the theater, intertwining our lives. A tight-knit cast shares many things- including germs.

The show must go on, they say. In fact, it's a motto by which many of us live. It is rare for illness to keep us from the stage- many performances have been in spite of fever, exhaustion, or even a lack of voice (God has miraculously pulled us through many shows!). Unless it's absolutely necessary, most of us will still attend rehearsal with kleenex and cough drops in tow, lest we fall behind on our work. This dedication has its rewards, but the discipline comes with a cost.

i'm not sure how many- if any- of the current cast of Risen has escaped this blend of sick. I certainly haven't. These words are typed between (punctuated by?) sneezes and sniffles. This epidemic (combined with a few other circumstances) inspired Ian to cancel rehearsal this coming Sunday. He gave us strict orders to rest.

Rest?

It's a familiar suggestion (command?), as Kelly- my roommate, castmate, and fellow victim of The Illness- continues to tell me I won't heal unless I take time to rest. I argue that I have taken a reasonable term on the couch, then rush off to my next class/work shift/meeting/whatever. These things are important. They are responsibilities, not recreational outings. The world does not stop merely because my body is housing germs of the persistently evil kind.

There's a lesson here, isn't there? Some cliche reminder that even God rested on the seventh day? But hey, He's the Master of the Universe. He plays by His own rules. When I've accomplished the creation of even one planet, then I can apply this seventh-day nap clause. Of course, Jesus sets plenty of examples of a balanced life of work, play and rest. And we are definitely called to pattern our habits after His. This is going to be another instance where life offstage mirrors principals learned from the stage, isn't it?

If you need me, I'll be on the couch in pajamas, watching another episode of "Scrubs"..... kleenex in hand, of course.