Eric Spence, a hero from Portland, was reported as saying that he broke the Sabbath to save lives. Two letters to the editor on December 24 responded to Spence's comment, one was helpful (Claude Wilson) and the other continued some myths about the sabbath (Joseph Patterson).

The word 'Sabbath' means rest and not Saturday. So, the command could read, "Remember the rest day to keep it holy". Nowhere in the text is Saturday mentioned!

Patterson makes reference to those "who keep the sabbath of creation" and that sabbath "commemorates both creation and ... the God of creation".

MANY SABBATHS

However, Deuteronomy 5 has a list of the 10 commandments and states, "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the sabbath Day" (12-15). It is only half true to speak about the sabbath of creation based on Exodus 20 when there is also the sabbath of emancipation and the God of emancipation. The Bible gives two reasons for the celebration of the weekly rest day, namely creation and emancipation.

The Bible makes reference to many sabbaths. In other words, today, New Year's Day can be a sabbath (rest) day once we understand sabbath as Wilson said, "The sabbath day rest (tautology) is ceasing from the things normally done during the week, bringing distinction and differentiation to the day, a day when we do not work for wages or rewards". Therefore, the day can be used for congregational worship, family time, games, walks, family meals, recreation, visiting the sick, the aged and the like. The whole day does not have to be congregational worship.

Patterson states that the sabbath is from "the hours from Friday evening to Saturday evening". However, if that were so, then some people and places would not have any sabbath. There are countries that have six months of daylight!

The important point is that one day in seven, one should rest from work for wages. Those who stick to this definition of sabbath as from sundown Friday are flying in the face of scientific knowledge and evidence similar to the Roman Catholics who declared Galileo Galilei (1524-1642) an heretic and sentenced him to life imprisonment for claiming that the earth revolved around the sun.

NOT ABOUT MORAL HOLINESS

There is no universal time for sabbath based on the fact that when it was Friday in Jamaica it is Saturday in Australia.

In any case, there are many calendars. The Christian calendar was developed by Dionysius Exigus of Rome in the 16th century. In France, the first day of the week is Monday. In any case, no one knows if Saturday or today was the original seventh day (Saturday) of creation. Therefore, the best we can do is have a rest day every seventh day.

When the Bible says to keep the rest day holy, it is talking about a day of difference when compared to the activities of other days. It does not mean that it has moral holiness or that God has blessed the day with moral holiness.

Jamaica faces serious challenges and the Church will have a role to play. She needs to understand the Sabbath as a rest day and that God is a God of creation and emancipation. Managers and workers need to observe the rest day and, therefore, becoming more productive and allowing time for worship of God and volunteerism toward the less fortunate.

I wish for all my readers, a happy new year.

Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: the church in nation building'. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.