Academic

When my oldest son was very young, he wanted to become a Tiger Cub Scout. At the initial parents' meeting, one of the parents requested that all of the activities be scheduled for Sundays because the other days of the week were already too full. I glanced at my son, who understood the import of this request immediately, and I saw the disappointment cloud his face. I whispered, "Do you want me to say something?" He nodded.

I asked if Sundays were the best day for everyone, noting, "if you schedule the events for Sunday, Drew won't be able to join the Den." The response was fascinating. Several parents endorsed the idea of Sundays as "family days," and encouraged the group to search for other options. In the end, most of the good events were scheduled for Sundays, and we skipped those, but a fair number of other events were scheduled during the week.

I was reminded of this exchange today when reading in the W$J about a "pro-work law" in France that would allow more businesses to open on Sundays. (That's good marketing, by the way. Isn't everyone pro-work? And it's much more appealing than "anti-blue-law.")

While I agree that it's important to spend time with your family, that isn't the primary reason Sunday is sacred to me. It would be sacred even if my family weren't around. The point is that Sunday is a day of rest. "Rest" in this sense is not about sleep or inactivity. It is about preparing to enter into the presence of God. (For you Bible readers, check out Hebrews 4.) It is a day of spiritual renewal.

Of course, this idea did not originate with Christians, and Sunday is not the only possible day of spiritual renewal. But France has a long history using Sunday as the sacred day, and I think the French will lose something important by treating that day like any other.

According to the W$J, "The Catholic Church has called for the preservation of the balance between weekdays, devoted to work, and Sundays, devoted to family life, sport or 'cultural activities.'"

Amen.