Dean Hollerith on the Importance (and Challenge) of Sabbath

"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy," the Bible tells us. "Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work." Yet even Dean Randy Hollerith says it's a hard rule to follow. 

Dean Hollerith recently talked to the filmmakers behind “Sabbath,” a new documentary from Journey Films (airing on many PBS stations) that tracks the history and significance of taking a day of rest. Most people try to take a pause on Sunday, but that’s especially tricky for clergy, he said.

“I think Sabbath is essential to healthy human living, regardless of whether you’re Christian, or Jewish, or Buddhist, or of no faith whatsoever,” he said. “The idea of Sabbath, from its very beginnings — this chance for renewal, this one day to face life, to enjoy life around you — that’s a really powerful part of Sabbath for me.”

Dean Hollerith talked about the cultural forces that seem to want to make Sabbath irrelevant, or an inconvenience, but that only underscores how important it is.

“It’s really an essential part of human health that we don’t pay attention to, and it’s getting worse, not better,” he said.

Full video below: