Find a middle way

Where are you caught between “all or nothing”?

Welcome to Day 8 of Begin Again: Back to School at Restful. This week in our 3-week series, we explore the theme of finding a middle way in our daily rhythms. Benedict’s Rule, written centuries ago for his monastic community, has endured because it rests on three foundational virtues: balance, harmony, and moderation. In Matthew 11, Jesus invites those who are “burned out on religion” (The Message) to come to him for rest. I highlight Benedict here because his wisdom has influenced me personally as I seek to live the restful way of Jesus. His guidance, written in response to the religious extremes of his day, reflects the same invitation to a balanced, moderate, and integrated life of daily worship, a via media that would ripple through the Christian communion for centuries. His instructions for the community’s daily routines—work, prayer, meals, rest, study, and hospitality—were shaped with great care so that nothing felt “harsh or burdensome.”¹ The restful way of Jesus invites us into that same attentiveness, learning to notice the pull of extremes and instead orient our lives around “unforced rhythms of grace” (Matt. 11:30, The Message).

Week 2: Embrace moderation

Balance, harmony, and moderation are more than abstract ideas; they represent a deep connection to the natural flow of life. Benedict may also have been inspired by Aristotle’s Golden Mean, but I think it’s more fair to say he was attuned to the equilibrium of the Triune God, Creator of the cosmos, whose movements beautifully and powerfully generate life out of tension. The earth moves in cycles of light and energy—the tides come and go, the moon sets, the sun rises. These rhythms quite literally keep the world turning. Our bodies pulse with life through blood and oxygen—we breathe in and out—grounding us in the organic movements we are born into.

These natural rhythms bring a profound sense of wholeness and well-being. Sadly, both in nature and within ourselves, it’s possible to create artificial ways of moving through life. In trying to “optimize performance,” we often lose touch with the muscle memory of natural, effortless rhythms. Forced rhythms demand significant energy to sustain, yet we can become accustomed to them, even as they drain us. While both kinds of rhythms require practice, only one nurtures life and rest. So the Lord who created day and night, water and fire, work and rest, invites us to learn from him how to live in unforced rhythms of grace.