The Spiritual Significance of Sundays
A Day of Rest and Worship
Growing up, I spent my Sundays catching up on the mounting homework I had neglected over the weekend, while some of my friends spent their Sundays with their families at their place of worship — an ‘activity’ I always thought of as forced and contrived.
As an avid supporter of volunteering, I always felt it was more useful for parents to encourage their children to spend their Sundays devoting their time to people and causes that required attention, rather than falling asleep listening to a sermon or memorizing passages.
It wasn’t until I began to reflect on my upbringing, who despite only visiting Hindu temples and/or Gurdwaras, once in a blue moon (or whenever my Grandparents were in town), spent many hours with my Grandmother learning the Japji Sahib — a twenty-five minute Sikh prayer. Whenever we visited each other, my Grandmother would sit us down to teach my brothers and I these prayers, and she would translate them into English for us. Her teachings never felt forced. I enjoyed learning the prayers and even though I didn’t necessarily always understand what I was saying, I could not ignore the wave of tranquility that washed over me each and every night as I said the Japji Sahib aloud before bed.
Years past and I grew lazy. Instead of saying my prayers each and every night, I only said them when I was boarding a plane or for some reason felt randomly inclined. That was until 2019, when I had my spiritual awakening.
I began to truly understand the power of words, the energy they carry, and the purity and positivity that one can evoke through prayer. I understood why religion came to be, a concept that had previously alluded me. And thanks to the foundation that my Grandmother and Mother had laid down, I had a number of prayers in my repertoire that I could invoke at any time.
Growing up, I always felt connected to Sikhism, nevertheless I always felt that to a certain extent, I did not have a choice when it came to my faith(I now realize that is not the case: my soul chose to incarnate into this family and faith. But that is a separate point). I watched parents raise their children to follow their religions and faiths, support their sports teams, enjoy their past times. And it did not make sense to me. How could parents feel ok with bringing up their children to adhere to a religion, without giving them a choice? I remember genuinely probing my friends, asking them why they chose to follow certain rituals or rules of their religion, curious to understand their experience, perception, and rationalization of their personal faith. I loved listening to what they had to say and seeing how connected some of them were, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that they didn’t have a choice.
Back when I used to read trash magazines, (now I just watch trash tv) I read somewhere that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt raised their mini UN brood by teaching them about all of the different religions and telling them they could pick one that resonated with them if they liked. I was in awe of that idea. I mentally applauded them for their unconventionality and the steps they were taking to raise their children to make their own choices by exploring and examining these different religions and finding one or maybe even none that resonated with them. I felt inspired to do the same with my future children. But as we all know, people change.
Today, I understand that all religions are essentially saying the same thing. They were all originally conceived with the motive of creating a more conscious world by helping people to connect with the ultimate source that exists within all of us. However, greed, money, and power soon took over and to some extent extinguished the purity which gave birth to religion.
Today, I appreciate my Grandmother for teaching me so much about my heritage. She planted the seed so that when I was ready it could bloom. She gave me the tools so that when I was ready I could get to work and build. These teachings and prayers are a compass and my own personal form of Xanax. Had she not spent the time teaching me, I wouldn’t have had a foundation on which to build. Of course, I could have started at 23 and taught myself, but my 23 year old brain wouldn’t have been as elastic or been able to form neurons as quickly as my five year old brain. Plus, between work, online courses, and adulting, there’s no doubt my five year old self had way more time to learn.
So my position on how to spend Sundays has changed. I still believe in the importance of introducing children to volunteering and I would still like to spend Sundays engaging in charitable activities with my future family. However, I would also like to take them to a place of worship. I know they may fall asleep or just repeat what they hear, but I also know that one day it will click, and when that day comes they will have a stronger foundation than I did. They will be able to draw upon so many more prayers, shabads, kirtans, lessons, and stories.
Sundays are a day of rest, worship, and reflection. A day to relax and recharge and remember God. Yes, we should remember God everyday but that doesn’t always happen amidst our busy lives. Setting aside a place and time, creating a routine to sit with ourselves, to pray, to give thanks and express gratitude, to remember God, is a form of self-care. It is a way for us to fill up our own cup and to teach by example.
When I was younger my Dad used to tell me that you did not have to go to a Temple or Gurdwara to pray or remember God. There is so much truth in that statement. Yet, I cannot deny the serene energy that envelops me when I enter into a Gurdwara or Temple, listen to prayer, and serve langar (free food). Yes, you can pray and remember God anywhere, you don’t need to go to a place of worship, but there is no denying that different environments can stimulate us in different ways. However, it is also important not to become dogmatic and feel like you can only worship God by visiting a place of worship. Balance and understanding is key.
Sundays are sacred. And although kids might not yet fully understand the significance of their religion, when the day comes that they want to probe further and ask “WHY?” they will have the tools in the form of mantra and prayer, thanks to the Sundays they spent at their place of worship.
