The philosopher, Bertrand Russell, wrote a very serious essay in praise of idleness, arguing that there was far too much work done in the world. I am convinced, however, that it was busyness, not work, that Russell had in mind. Offices are shrines to the cult of busyness as they keep up the appearance of gainful work, often sustained by irrelevant rituals, becoming hives of redundant activity driven by spurious urgency, fired by regular cups of coffee. We all feel obliged to be seen to be doing something. Busy people are persistently in a rush, regularly declaring that they don't have time, unaware that 'I don't have time' is not a statement about time, but about what we value.

Russell’s views run counter to the claim that the devil finds work for idle hands; evil is assumed to arise from not keeping busy. This theological assertion has influenced the belief that we are only worthy when gainfully occupied. This kind of thinking underpins the view that youth crime arises from the alienation of the perpetrators from official purposes and from not having enough to do.

The philosopher Aristotle, in his Politics, draws a distinction between leisure and idleness. For Aristotle leisure, schole in Greek, is a combination of restful learning and conversation where we are not
concerned with politics or power.

One of the most haunting phrases from scripture comes from Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I am God”. I take this as an invitation to the mystical life, to participate fully in the present moment; what DH Lawrence refers to as “Man in his wholeness wholly attending”- not being too busy to have time for God.

Philip O'Neill