Posted on August 1, 2018
Only in recent months did I hear the phrase, FOMO, i.e., fear of missing out. I was relating at Camp Newman that I missed the field trip of my eighth and ninth graders to a high ropes course. It was the first day and I was acclimating to my new responsibilities. I was bummed to miss out on this activity. One faculty member told me that it was FOMO. In general, I find that I don’t like to miss out on anything fun, novel, or unique.
On the other hand, I recognize, sometimes doing too much can be overwhelming. Our lives are too fast paced. There are too many things to do. We are over programmed and running frantically from place to place. Even when we sit still, our electronic leashes via our devices pull us back in. Sometimes, perhaps we need to joyfully sit one out, unplug, and recharge our own spiritual batteries. Just recently I heard of the phrase, JOMO, the joy of missing out. Quite a concept isn’t it? We need a break. We need a vacation. We just need some time.
Fortunately, we have the solution. It’s one that goes back thousands of years and it’s called Shabbat. At Beth David, we’ve added an innovative element to this day of rest. Every few months, we have a Body, Mind, and Spirit Shabbat. The idea behind this is to get outdoors, enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, and connect with something bigger than ourselves, as we move our bodies, make new friends, and rest. On Saturday morning, August 18, starting at 9:00 a.m., we will serve fresh bagels, lox, cream cheese, fruit, eggs, and coffee to start our morning off. Then we will drive to
Seal Beach. Larry Matalon will lead a walk on the sidewalk and I will lead a walk in the sand by the water. As with our other programs, we will stop seven times for holiness with meditative prayers and readings. By celebrating Shabbat in both this ancient and novel way, we will joyfully take a break from work, devices, errands, and stress. We’ll feel the warm breeze blowing over the ocean and the sand between our toes. We’ll laugh and talk. After our program, feel free to continue to enjoy the beach and stay for a bit longer or even for the day.
Let’s all joyfully take this opportunity to miss out on work to reconnect with one another, God, and our beautiful world.