Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy
The Sabbath Commandment is regarded as a moral imperative by Jewish, Catholic, Reformation and legal scholars
I seem to recall Christian advice something along the lines of, “If a lamb falls down a well it’s OK to save it on the Sabbath” but…
…who’s to say when housework isn’t holy?
The zen perspective, I believe, is something along the lines of really getting into whatever you’re doing and doing it well.
Being of selfless service “SEVA” is certainly of spiritual merit and helping someone out of love is unimpeachable.
How many church housekeepers have been happy to be of service on a Sunday out of love for everything from feeding the community to unclogging the toilet? How does that relate to Gandhi’s perspective that no one is better than the Untouchable caste?
It’s OK to be kind to the family via whichever is the most loving of available options but the intent is to take the time, particularly if never done on any other day, to connect with God and this means expanding the size of the family that is loved.
The First Commandment:
1. Love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart and soul and thy brother as thyself.
Universal Laws:
1. We are One 2. Love is Law
My personal definition for God has long been “All that Is”. There’s no question that “All that is” exists. It just does. A given by “All that is”.
It seems to me if you make your family “All that Is”, including all non-human life, then you’re “there” no matter in what manner you’re expressing devotion.
It’s up to each individual to decide which duties are non-essential enough to prevent them from loving “All that Is”?
It’s a good day to take the time to connect with God in whatever way is best. If you don’t attend church then meditation is a good (albeit not mutually exclusive) option.
“Remember the Sabbath” means “Don’t forget to love absolutely.”