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| Gathering at Fish Creek, on Green Bay, Door County, Wisconsin August 2012 |
On this night last week a young guy played jazz standards on his trombone, and when he finished everyone gave him a nice hand.
This impromptu gathering brought to mind Josef Pieper's book, Leisure as a Basis for Culture (Pantheon 1952 trans. Random House 1963, Ignatius Press 2009). In that book Pieper describes leisure not as "time off work," but as a quiet and grateful attitude of the mind: "In leisure man, too, celebrates the end of his work by allowing his inner eye to dwell for a while upon the reality of Creation. He looks and he affirms: it is good.” (p. 49).
The gathering to watch the sun go down becomes what Pieper might call a "celebration" for those who have the attitude to receive it. What does Pieper mean by celebration? As just quoted, we celebrate by allowing the mind to "dwell for awhile" on these things which are not the product of work. For Pieper celebration is the core of leisure: "The soul of leisure, it can be said, lies in 'celebration.' Celebration is the point at which the three elements of leisure come to a focus: relaxation, effortlessness, and superiority of 'active leisure' to all functions. But if celebration is the core of leisure, then leisure can only be made possible and justifiable on the same basis as the celebration of a festival. That basis is divine worship." (p. 65)
Now, you can't press Pieper's use of the word "worship" here too far, as if worship might have something to do with nature itself independent of God. Pieper was an orthodox Christian believer with a solid Catholic ideas on nature as God's creation. But for Pieper it all has to start with this receptive and grateful attitude. Leisure as a Basis for Culture is not easy reading, but any time spent in this book is well worth it, because Pieper offers the reader (and our culture) this reality which is outside the self. Before I can benefit from reading the Gospels, I need this message which I have received from reading Pieper: Life is not all about me.
This impromptu gathering brought to mind Josef Pieper's book, Leisure as a Basis for Culture (Pantheon 1952 trans. Random House 1963, Ignatius Press 2009). In that book Pieper describes leisure not as "time off work," but as a quiet and grateful attitude of the mind: "In leisure man, too, celebrates the end of his work by allowing his inner eye to dwell for a while upon the reality of Creation. He looks and he affirms: it is good.” (p. 49).
The gathering to watch the sun go down becomes what Pieper might call a "celebration" for those who have the attitude to receive it. What does Pieper mean by celebration? As just quoted, we celebrate by allowing the mind to "dwell for awhile" on these things which are not the product of work. For Pieper celebration is the core of leisure: "The soul of leisure, it can be said, lies in 'celebration.' Celebration is the point at which the three elements of leisure come to a focus: relaxation, effortlessness, and superiority of 'active leisure' to all functions. But if celebration is the core of leisure, then leisure can only be made possible and justifiable on the same basis as the celebration of a festival. That basis is divine worship." (p. 65)
Now, you can't press Pieper's use of the word "worship" here too far, as if worship might have something to do with nature itself independent of God. Pieper was an orthodox Christian believer with a solid Catholic ideas on nature as God's creation. But for Pieper it all has to start with this receptive and grateful attitude. Leisure as a Basis for Culture is not easy reading, but any time spent in this book is well worth it, because Pieper offers the reader (and our culture) this reality which is outside the self. Before I can benefit from reading the Gospels, I need this message which I have received from reading Pieper: Life is not all about me.
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