Cultivating Attention as a Surgical Resident: Sabbath as Resistance

Abstract

Despite our being created in right relationship with the Sabbath and holy time, we often have a dysfunctional relationship with rest, time, and ceasing. Our dysfunctional relationship with time, our hurriedness, has created an illness: “hurry sickness.” In medicine, our hurry sickness is often transformed into a supposed virtue we call efficiency. As a surgical resident, I am evaluated on and celebrated for my efficiency. If hurry and efficiency have created an illness, what is our remedy? Theologians propose the Sabbath as the cure to our hurry sickness. The Sabbath is the proper treatment but cannot be traditionally observed by most surgical trainees. Therefore, I explore elements of the Sabbath that can be practiced by surgical residents.