The Time Change & Circadian Spirituality

Deep peace of the running wave to you.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you.

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you

Deep peace of the shining stars to you

Deep peace of the gentle night to you

Moon and stars pour their healing light on you

Deep peace of Christ, the light of the world to you. 

                                 Celtic Benediction

A circadian rhythm is a natural 24-hour cycle of physical, mental, and behavioral changes that occur in the body. It's also known as the "body's clock". Circadian rhythms are controlled by a biological clock in the brain, and are primarily influenced by light and dark. They affect many important bodily functions, including: Sleep patterns, Hormone release, Appetite and digestion, and Body temperature.

This morning I sat in the gloom and listened to yet another earnest annual piece on CBC Radio about what we all know as "the Time Change." Then my Globe and Mail newspaper arrived with a front page headline on the same subject. For most of my adult life -- half a century? -- there have been discussions about ending the semi-annual changing of the clocks described as Daylight Saving and Standard Time. The former is an absurd term when you consider it. We humans can't manufacture or save daylight. Our planet continues its relentless elliptical orbit around our star and in the Northern Hemisphere we pay the price for where we live in Winter when the Sun casts its wan and miserly light upon us for a few hours in  the day. 

Historians tell us that in medieval Europe large portions of the population were inclined toward a form of hibernation in the colder, darker months to conserve energy. Today we are enlightened, literally, flicking the switches to goose our internal clocks, Seasonal Affective Order be damned. 

We're also informed that changing the clocks messes with our Circadian Rhythms, a term that always conjures up swarms of grasshopper-like insects for me. It is actually the natural 24-hour brain cycle by which we function as critters, humans included. 

What is the equivalent of the Circadian Rhythm in our spiritual lives, including our worship gatherings. Every year congregations attempt to prepare the faithful for the time change, only to have a couple of bewildered people show up far too early or wander in late. Most religions have patterns for worship and some individuals include a daily time for prayer and reflection. Monastic communities are ordered by the "offices", gathering seven times each day to chant the psalms or some other forms of prayerful worship. 

These are worthwhile but I wonder how we might become more attuned to the patterns of the Earth rather than imposing our will upon them? In a broad spectrum of Indigenous communities around the globe spiritual expression is tied to the planetary rhythms. Judaism does begin the Sabbath at sunset and all three of the Abrahamic religions set festivals according to the moon, including our Christian Easter. 

One of my most profound spiritual moments this year was on the afternoon of the solar eclipse. We were in a farm field next to a huge marsh, and as the sky went dark the confused Spring Peepers joined in a great chorus until the sun shone again. There was something about those few moments that connected me to Creator and Creation in a way that's hard to explain. 

Will the Time Change conundrum be resolved in my lifetime? I'm not holding my breath. I might give some more thought to the notion of Circadian Spirituality.