Healing from the "Violence" of Busyness: A Christian Theological Perspective on Time
Emmy Yang, Medical Student, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Pastor and theologian Simon Carey Holt has said that “prolonged busyness is a state of violence… to the human soul...”[1] Busyness is a state in which medical practitioners may describe themselves. One’s time is often divided between multiple responsibilities such as patient care, documentation, and personal and family obligations. The violence manifests in the prevalence of burnout, distress, and despair in the medical profession. [2] A turn towards the sacred offers a framework for understanding these harms and opportunities for healing.
Scripture and resources from Christian theology claim a distinct nature and purpose of time. According to scripture, God creates day and night and the seventh day for rest. [3] Rest and worship of God are central elements of the rhythm of human life. [4] Furthermore, the Book of Genesis centers God as the creator of time and humans as creatures bound by circadian cycles. The purpose of human time is to love God and others. [5] However, with the entrance of sin in the world, time is used for unloving purposes. Humans can be exploited for labor or profit. Resident physicians, for example, often experience rigorous training hours with little time for recovery.
The Christian tradition offers two resources for healing. The first is the Gospel story in which salvation has been granted by God through Christ. [6] Neither self-worth nor salvation are earned through greater efficiency or productivity. Practitioners can rest knowing that the ultimate work has been done. The second is that a biblical and theological understanding of time orients individuals towards constructing more humane and compassionate rhythms for others. A community practicing this ethic promotes schedules that restore cycles of work and rest and the elimination of exploitative work environments. In appreciating the sacred value of time, practitioners and health systems leaders can heal from the demands of hospital time and create more sustainable work rhythms and cultures.
References:
1) Holt, Simon Carey. "Slow Time in a Fast World: A Spirituality of Rest." Ministry, Society and Theology 16, no. 2 (2002): 10-21. https://simoncareyholt.wordpress.com/writing/.
2) West, C. P., L. N. Dyrbye, and T. D. Shanafelt. "Physician Burnout: Contributors, Consequences and Solutions." J Intern Med 283, no. 6 (Jun 2018): 516-29. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12752. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29505159.; West, C. P., A. D. Tan, T. M. Habermann, J. A. Sloan, and T. D. Shanafelt. "Association of Resident Fatigue and Distress with Perceived Medical Errors." JAMA 302, no. 12 (Sep 23 2009): 1294-300. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.1389.
3) Genesis 1:5; Genesis 2:3.
4) Heschel, Abraham Joshua. The Sabbath : Its Meaning for Modern Man. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.
5) Matthew 22:36-40; Swinton, John. Becoming Friends of Time : Disability, Timefullness, and Gentle Discipleship. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2016.
6) Ephesians 2:4-5.
Scripture and resources from Christian theology claim a distinct nature and purpose of time. According to scripture, God creates day and night and the seventh day for rest. [3] Rest and worship of God are central elements of the rhythm of human life. [4] Furthermore, the Book of Genesis centers God as the creator of time and humans as creatures bound by circadian cycles. The purpose of human time is to love God and others. [5] However, with the entrance of sin in the world, time is used for unloving purposes. Humans can be exploited for labor or profit. Resident physicians, for example, often experience rigorous training hours with little time for recovery.
The Christian tradition offers two resources for healing. The first is the Gospel story in which salvation has been granted by God through Christ. [6] Neither self-worth nor salvation are earned through greater efficiency or productivity. Practitioners can rest knowing that the ultimate work has been done. The second is that a biblical and theological understanding of time orients individuals towards constructing more humane and compassionate rhythms for others. A community practicing this ethic promotes schedules that restore cycles of work and rest and the elimination of exploitative work environments. In appreciating the sacred value of time, practitioners and health systems leaders can heal from the demands of hospital time and create more sustainable work rhythms and cultures.
References:
1) Holt, Simon Carey. "Slow Time in a Fast World: A Spirituality of Rest." Ministry, Society and Theology 16, no. 2 (2002): 10-21. https://simoncareyholt.wordpress.com/writing/.
2) West, C. P., L. N. Dyrbye, and T. D. Shanafelt. "Physician Burnout: Contributors, Consequences and Solutions." J Intern Med 283, no. 6 (Jun 2018): 516-29. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12752. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29505159.; West, C. P., A. D. Tan, T. M. Habermann, J. A. Sloan, and T. D. Shanafelt. "Association of Resident Fatigue and Distress with Perceived Medical Errors." JAMA 302, no. 12 (Sep 23 2009): 1294-300. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.1389.
3) Genesis 1:5; Genesis 2:3.
4) Heschel, Abraham Joshua. The Sabbath : Its Meaning for Modern Man. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005.
5) Matthew 22:36-40; Swinton, John. Becoming Friends of Time : Disability, Timefullness, and Gentle Discipleship. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2016.
6) Ephesians 2:4-5.