Escapism is the tendency to avoid undesirable realities through distraction or redirecting towards a more pleasurable activity, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy. Escapism often goes hand-in-hand with addictions. Two ways we seek escapism in people’s life is in avoidance and distraction.
Avoidance
In Scripture, the avoidance of undesirable realities is seen as slothfulness, laziness, and passivity. We escape from the harsh realities of this world by ignoring our responsibility to deal with them. It is avoiding the rightful duties to seek pleasure in other areas.
Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks.
Ecclesiastes 10:18
I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
Proverbs 24:30-31
How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 6:9-11
Scripture talks about slothfulness and passivity as sinful behavior. It is a neglect of our rightful duties and responsibilities that results in the destruction of our homes and lives. There is a physical sense that all of these Proverbs are conveying, but there is also a metaphorical sense. Relationships, health, and our Christian walk all require work. When we fail to sow into our marriages and families they slowly (or sometimes rapidly) decay. When we fail to eat right, our bodies break down. When we neglect reading Scripture, prayer, and other spiritual formation, our relationship with God suffers. It might not seem like it but every episode of our favorite TV show, every YouTube video, every round of Fortnite, every football game, every six pack, every FB or Pinterest post leads us further from our what is best for us.
Distractions
We are a distracted people. The American dream is to be overworked, busy, jampacked with activities. College and job applications reward a well-balanced life; that is, in reality, an unrealistic life consumed by activities. The current trend in parenting styles is called Over-Parenting. This is a micromanaging and pre-planning out every aspect of your child’s life. When we do not stop, we have no time to contemplate our choices, our direction in life, or our priorities. Life is just one long stream of never-ending distractions. Wake up, get 30 minutes of exercise, drop the kids off at school, head off to work, grab fast food on the way to the recital, just in time to make it to the game. Other distractions include comfort, hedonism and fantasy. This distraction seeks pleasure and entertainment in place of a undesirable activity, or seeks to avoid discomfort or displeasure. This can lead to unhealthy behaviors and addictions. Some seek comfort in physical things: food, sex, entertainment, drugs; whereas others seek comfort in fantasy. Their thought life is filled with what they think will bring them happiness or a rewriting of their reality.
Work
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
Genesis 2:15
Work has always been part of God’s plan for humans, even before sin entered the world. Sometimes we imagine Eden as this idyllic vacation spot where Adam and Eve lounged in hammocks and had the animals bring them food. Eden needed to be worked and cultivated so that it would spread to fill the earth. This plan did not stop with the Fall, it was only frustrated (Genesis 3:17-19). Work became more difficult and sometimes fruitless but is still required. We are still called to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). It is good and right to participate in work that promotes human flourishing. It good and right to provide for our families and take care of earthly needs as well as helping others in need. Work brings glory to God.
You Shall Find Rest
Escapism is not the same thing as rest. For many, the dream vacation is to sit on a beach and do nothing but “rest.” This rest is not the same as the sabbath rest we are called to in Scripture. Hebrews 4:1-13 talks about Israel’s disobedience and how they failed to enter into the promised rest. Rest is modeled after God’s rest during creation (Gen 2:2). God physically did not need to rest but did so as a model for us to follow. We were made to work, but also to rest. Sabbath rest is a a break from our labors and turning to God in dependence and trust. There will always be work to be done. Because of the Fall (Genesis 3), the world is broken and in a state of decay. There are physical limitations that necessitates rest, but sabbath rest does not make sense. In God’s economy, there is a reversal. The paradox is that in six days you will be as productive as you would be if you worked seven. Sabbath rest is more than just abstaining from work. It should be filled with: Growing in your knowledge and love of God; Giving thanks for the blessings God has given you; Reviewing your actions and repenting from sin; Casting vision for your life and family; Preparing your heart for the week.