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Jen Johnson
Until a few hundred years ago, your ancestors went to bed shortly after dark, slept for four hours, woke for an hour or two, then went back to bed for a “second sleep.”
This pattern was the norm throughout much of the Western world for centuries. Hundreds of books, court records, diaries, and other documents mention the first and second sleep as a common thing. Churches offered prayer manuals for the hours between sleeps, and doctors recommended that couples trying to conceive focus their efforts on these times. (Hey, if you’re awake anyway …)
Then, around the end of the 17th century, major European cities like Paris, London and Amsterdam installed street lights. Suddenly it was much safer to be out after dark. Staying up later became a sign of status and the ”two sleeps” pattern seemed less fashionable. Within a few generations it disappeared completely.
It’s interesting how quickly conventional wisdom can change. Although studies indicate the two sleeps schedule may actually relieve stress and be more in line with our bodies’ natural rhythms, you probably believe the most healthy and “normal” way to sleep has always been logging a solid eight hours in a row. Because some Europeans in the 1600’s decided against earlier bedtimes, what we “know” today is very different.
This is true in many areas of life. For instance, we “know” the church should have a senior pastor, a worship leader, a strong program for kids (who should stay downstairs, divided by age group), and a 75-minute weekly service.
Or adulthood: we “know” all 18-year-olds should go to college, have a few years of fun before settling down, and then build their career a few years more before starting a family.
Or faith: we “know” guys should join an accountability group and the women should attend a ladies’ Bible study, or together they should participate in a small group on Tuesday nights at someone’s house. They should read the Bible daily and feel guilty if they don’t, hear God speaking to them regularly, and experience answered prayer often.
Here’s the thing: these assumptions often hurt us more than help us. Churches might benefit from a less hierarchical staffing structure with shorter sermons and more family participation. College may not make sense for you and you might be better off growing up before taking on a spouse and kids. Small groups are may be a complete waste of a week night and God may stay silent in your life for a long, long while. But a trend or a reaction or a change that happened decades ago can determine our attitudes and behaviors today.
Sometimes, there really is a best way. However, often we are pushing ourselves to fit cultural patterns without questioning why they exist. How many of the norms in your life are chosen after thoughtful consideration of the options and how many are the cultural by-products of old streetlights you no longer remember?
Photo (Flickr CC) by Ole Husby
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Jen Johnson
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