Till We Rest In Thee
St Augustine and the Restlessness of the Human Heart
A Common Need
We have an innate physical, mental and emotional need for rest, and there is no shortage of entrepreneurial types who want to convince us that their book, seminar, retreat, pillow or mattress is the means to find it. There is a universal recognition that we need to recharge, step away from the daily pressures of life and switch off from time to time. Nothing wrong with that; we absolutely need physical rest, and often, but there is another level of rest, and we are only getting part of its meaning if we only look at it in terms of sleep, or ‘putting our feet up’. It doesn’t necessarily go to the heart of the matter.
There is a spiritual aspect to rest that we can miss, and examining it through a biblical lens brings a depth of meaning and significance that is both pleasing and reassuring. Consider that rest is mentioned approximately six hundred times in the Bible, and that God set the precedent:
"So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation."
Genesis 2:1-3 (NLT)
That God himself rested attests to its spiritual weight. But this is not because God was worn out after all that creating business; the Hebrew word for rest, shabat, in this verse means simply to cease, or stop. Matthew Henry says, “God did not rest because he was weary, he rested because he was pleased.” God then mandated a rest for future generations of his people. But what does this rest look like for us? This is where it relates directly to my topic.
A Man Who Found Rest
St. Augustine of Hippo, by Philip De Champaigne c. 1645 (Wikipedia.org)
Augustine of Hippo (also known as Saint Augustine) (AD 354–430), in his early years lived a hedonistic lifestyle, moved in with his girlfriend, had a child out of wedlock, joined a radical cult, believed in astrology, and was a source of grief to his long suffering, but ever praying mother. Post conversion, he went on to become one of the most influential Christians in history. His story of conversion to Christ is captured in The Confessions Of Saint Augustine, and it contains his most famous quote:
"... because you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." Confessions 1.1.1
Peter Kreeft (2016, p21), provides a concise and excellent analysis of Augustine’s meaning:
“Here it is: one of the greatest sentences ever written, the basic theme . . . of life itself. It has two parts. The first is the objective fact, and the second is the subjective experience. In fact, the first is the fundamental objective fact of life, and the second is the fundamental subjective experience of life.
They are connected by an implied “therefore”: our hearts are restless until they rest in God because He has made us for Himself. We feel like homing pigeons because we are. Thus the fundamental claim of Christian anthropology (that God has made us for Himself) explains the fundamental fact of human experience (that our hearts are restless).”
There is the kind of rest that is a respite from our labours, but there is a more complete rest that God invites us into; the kind that Augustine found. This truth applies to all of us, for it is central to our purpose, core to our being, and necessary. Every heart is a restless heart until we find God, and to find rest in God is to know our ultimate calling.
“For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labours, just as God did after creating the world.”
Hebrews 4:10 (NLT)
Music For Meditation
Enjoy my ambient track “Till We Rest In Thee” as you consider and reflect on Augustine’s words, and as it applies to our own relationship with God. Full range speakers or headphones recommended.
References and Further Reading
Augustine and Bechtel, P.M. (2007) The Confessions of St. Augustine. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.
Peter Kreeft, I Burned for Your Peace: Augustine’s Confessions Unpacked (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2016).
Taylor, J (2017) An analysis of one of the greatest sentences ever written, The Gospel Coalition. Available at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/an-analysis-of-one-of-the-greatest-sentences-ever-written/
Wills, G. (2000) Saint Augustine. London: Phoenix.
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What’s the name all about?
Historically in medieval Europe, the local parish church was situated in the centre of a town or village, and was usually the tallest building. The spire could be seen from a distance and was a comforting symbol of hope and stability for the villager, traveller or war-weary knight returning home.
The spire doesn’t speak in the same way as it used to; the march of progress has changed all that. For most in our Western society, spiritual life has largely been replaced by a secular existence: the concrete, physical, sensual; and often drowned out by the noise of busy-ness, traffic and technology. But the longing for peace and stability remains. So let this space, for a short moment in time at least, be the vantage point from which to see that distant spire.
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Great insight into one of my favourite quotes. Great work Dale.