Tricia Hersey
Little, Brown Spark, 224 pages | Published October 11, 2022
How many of us have realized that work will take as much as we are willing to give, even when we are physically and emotionally exhausted? Or volunteered in a church, affinity group or movement, only to find that it becomes all-consuming, at the expense of much-needed rest? This is “grind culture,” and Tricia Hersey calls us to resist. “(W)e cannot wait until we are told it’s okay to rest,” she writes. Bodies at rest are places of healing, regenerating, freedom and creating, and will lead us to more abundant lives.
The “nap bishop,” as Hersey is known, insists that economic systems trick us into believing we are only worth as much as we produce, and the church is not exempt. Pastors justify “self-care” by insisting that time off prepares them to work harder the other days. And with dwindling resources, church folks often report feeling burned out by committee work and volunteering.
This would be a powerful book for intergenerational conversation, ideally across socioeconomic groups. Our response to Hersey’s manifesto will look radically different if we are just starting out in the workforce or a senior exec — and the risks for a person of color or someone with fewer economic opportunities are greater. Can the church be a place where we affirm our worth, learn to set healthy boundaries, and advocate that others do the same?
The rest revolution is here! Let’s live into our God-given best selves … and let’s take it lying down.
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