Photo courtesy of Madison Bowden
At Covenant, we are always taught the importance of the Sabbath, and yet, frequently on Sunday nights, the Blink is filled with countless students putting in their orders and thoughtlessly yelling over the noise of people and speakers. While this is not inherently a problem, it should make us ask some serious questions. We might not be the ones working when we go to the Blink on Sundays, but we are causing some of our fellow students to have to work. This causes these students to miss Prayer and Praise and to miss out on vital rest before the week begins. The Lord gave us the Sabbath as a day not only of bodily rest but also spiritual rest, and we are actively taking that choice away from three or more of our brothers and sisters in Christ when we go to the Blink on Sundays. These students are hard working like the rest of us and are also preparing to go into the week but are being scheduled to work on the day of rest. Why? Because we so desperately need a cheese quesadilla at 10:30 p.m. at night? That does not seem like a good reason to me.
The Blink is not like the Great Hall. It is not necessary. This reminds me of Exodus, where the Israelites complained about the manna … we might not like the Great Hall, but it is what the Lord has provided for the Sabbath. Why would we unnecessarily make people work on Sundays and take them away from their hall communities in Prayer and Praise and their church families in evening services?
Also, it should make us ask ourselves a question—how are we spending our Sabbaths? Are we spending them in the worship of the Lord? In rest and reflection on Him and His mercies on us? Or are we using the day He set apart as just another day for funsies after church is done?
I cannot say any of this with a clean conscience. I have also been someone who goes to the Blink on Sundays, but talking to one of the freshmen working Sundays at the Blink made me reevaluate my thoughts and actions. If I won’t go to Sonic on Sundays, why would I go to the Blink? There is no necessity for the Blink to be open on Sundays. We would not starve if it was closed. We would simply suffer a minor inconvenience to our entertainment on Sunday nights.
I want to challenge us as a community to be more thoughtful about the ways we are spending our Sabbaths. How are we encouraging each other to be mindful of the Sabbath? Are we going to church and then going about our days as if nothing is different? Or are we being mindful not only of ourselves but also of others. It is so miniscule, but not going to the Blink on Sundays is just one way I believe we could grow as a community. Sundays should look different for us as Christians. How are we going to make that happen?
Thumbnail courtesy of Madison Bowden.