When I was little, my mother used to tell other mums that I was a ‘placid’ child. It became a family joke for a while because I loathed it. From a very busy, bright woman it sounded like a put-down (even if it made parenthood easier). I suppose I was self-contained. I could pore over a jigsaw for days on end.

I think I’m still trying to shake the slur off, sub-consciously. Most of my life I’ve seen sitting still as something to do when I’ve ‘nothing better to do’, a ‘waste of time’ or a sign of a lack of curiosity or intelligence, or being complacent, and busyness as productive. There are always better things to do after all.

But are there? Not according to Christianity. When Christ visits Mary and Martha it’s Martha who gets reprimanded for being busy, and Mary commended for ‘sitting at his feet and listening’. We are called to peace and stillness in the presence of God (who is everywhere) repeatedly. God wants to be in relationship with us but he waits for us to make the time and the space.

Julian of Norwich wrote with her usual grace and insight: ‘My, how busy we become when we forget how much God loves us’.

I fear that most of today’s busyness is performative. We race about trying to do many things at once to prove our worth to others – and to ourselves.

But God made us and loves us just as we are. We really don’t have anything to prove.

Written by Lois Sparling of St George’s Church in Kendal.

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