Time Magazine Claims that Americans Recognized the Value of Rest Back when the Puritans “Took Their Sundays Very Seriously”

The Puritans were English Protestants seeking to “purify” the Church, and they were responsible for the blue laws in the American colonies. Puritan communities in New England, particularly in Massachusetts, enacted strict regulations on Sundays, prohibiting activities such as working, shopping, and other non-religious pursuits. The goal was to create a uniform day of rest for religious observance. Punishments for breaking the Blue laws were indeed quite harsh. People could face fines, public humiliation, or even capital punishment.

Time Magazine would like to take us back to those days. The best scenario, of all the ones they can imagine, is to go back to the times when rest was required by law. On January 25, 2024, Time Magazine published an article titled “Rest Takes Hard Work” that spoke about the decline of rest in America. And what is their solution? They claim that we need to take rest seriously, just like the Puritans did by instituting “deliberate” rest.

The article said, in part:

• “Whether it’s breaks during the day, hobbies that take our mind off work, weekly sabbaths or annual vacations, routines that layer periods of work and rest help us be more productive, have more sustainable careers, and enjoy richer and more meaningful lives.” [1]

• “Americans has long been known for our industry and ambition, but until recently, we also recognized the value of rest. The Puritans had a famously strict work ethic, but they also took their Sundays very seriously.” [1]

• “Post-Civil War … union organizers, mass media and entertainment, and the parks movement democratized leisure: rest became a right, enshrined as much in college sports and penny arcades as in labor law.” [1]

• “These sources paint a vision of American life in which work and leisure are partners in a good life.” [1]

• “But in recent decades, the world turned against rest. Globalization, the decline of unions, and the rise of gig work are factors that have created an environment in which people and companies feel compelled to work constantly.” [1]

• “People in high-stress, unpredictable jobs can’t depend on such routines.” [1]

• “Deliberate rest, woven into your days and life, acts as a mainspring and regulator, giving you more energy, more ideas, and more time for good work and a good life. In today’s always-on world, few things are harder to do than rest. But few things are more worthwhile.” [1]

Deliberate rest? It is obvious that Sunday laws gave deliberate and forceful rest to everyone. How much longer until legislators and religious leaders make the connection between passing Sunday laws and eradicating mental illness, stress, inefficiency at work, and the decline of our temporal prosperity? How long before blue laws are passed to establish designated periods of rest and recuperation for our overworked society?

We live in a time when calls to mandate a collective day of rest can be easily accepted, especially if individuals are given the opportunity to recharge, spend quality time with family, and engage in personal leisure activities. Who could possibly be against a reduction in burnout and stress levels? On the surface, this sounds good. But we know that beneath all of the recent calls to return to rest is the Sunday poison. Time Magazine is attempting to persuade the American people to go back to the days when blue laws were purportedly responsible for establishing a regular and structured rest schedule as well as a healthier work-life balance that improved the country’s general well-being.

We understand the purpose of this and the direction it is taking. Under the pretense of attempting to preserve lives and souls through disobedience, Satan will seize every chance to entice people away from their loyalty to God by elevating the idol Sabbath.

“Not a move has been made in exalting the idol sabbath, in bringing around Sunday observance through legislation, but Satan has been behind it, and has been the chief worker” (Review and Herald, April 15, 1890).

Sources

[1] https://time.com/6566763/rest-takes-hard-work-essay/