Sisyphus is a character from Greek mythology, whe is most famous for being punished by endlessly rolling a stone up a hill. Every time he neared the top the stone would slip and roll right back down to where he started. He would then have to walk back down and start again. The idea here is that there is no greater penalty for a person than to experience pointless repetitive tasks day after day. I think we can all identify with Sisyphus a little bit, maybe now more than ever.
In quarantine, everything can feel shifted and out of place. We can feel like Sisyphus, doomed to do the same thing day after day with no real sense of accomplishment. I have had times where I could not have told you what day it was without checking my phone because they all just seem to blur together. It is times like this that we must find joy in the little things and peace in those small moments. What those are will differ from person to person, and the hard work will be in naming them for yourself. It is all too easy to point out all the things going wrong; they feel big and obvious and in your face.
A philosopher writing about Sisyphus, said that though he was cursed to an endless task, he still had moments of freedom. As the stone rolled down the hill Sisyphus walked behind it, and it was during this walk that he was free. Free to let his mind wander. Free to laugh at the absurdity of his situation. Free to take a deep breath before starting once again.
We want the world to be back to what it was a year ago. We want to have normal days with work, and school, and soccer practice. Unfortunately, we don’t know when those days will come back. For now, we are all just pushing that stone up the hill knowing that at some point it’s going to roll back down, and we’ll need to start again.
When you feel the disappointment of seeing the stone roll downhill, again, I hope you’re able to take a breath, laugh at the absurdity of life, and remember this prayer of David.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.