As you leave central London by a late train, you pass several open-plan offices, stacked with desks from end to end, all lights blazing and computer screens glowing.
This appears to be the modem equivalent of the Marie Celeste, because one feels like calling out, "Is there anyone there?" Even the cleaners have left, and the last man did not switch the lights off. Perhaps this is company policy, because if all London offices switched all their systems on at the same time each morning, the resulting surge might cause a universal black out.
Mercifully, most of us do switch off when we go to sleep. Lights out as the mind goes blank, and we virtually die to the world: unconscious and helpless. Believers are convinced they are guarded by the unsleeping Providence of God, and that they will wake up from their sleep, if not in this world, then in the spiritual world where they will be gently welcomed by the angels.
Yet it would be a mistake to think that all our systems close down when we fall asleep. That is the moment when the love of Divine Maintenance comes into its own. When the office is clear of human chatter and interference, the Cleaner can get on with what so badly needs doing. All our circuits and contacts have to be 'serviced', the accumulated debris of the day's stress, fears, disappointments, and general break-down in communications and overheating in the Ego-system have to be renewed.
Swedenborg clearly shows that without regular sleep and the merciful healing and restoring of the mind and body, we could not stay alive for many days. This is something of which totalitarian regimes are well aware and use it to break people's resistance by sleep deprivation. We can stay alive longer without food than without sleep.
Perhaps we should have a different view of sleep. It is not a period of dark
void at all, rather the mind is filled with the Supreme Luminosity which
scrutinises everything. In The True Christian Religion there is a lovely
explanation which shows that because God is Order Itself, he can see, not only
all things which are in order, but equally all which are contrary to order, and
he immediately exerts his power to restore them.
We can stay alive
longer without food
than without sleep
This is also seen in Revelation, chapters 2-3 in which the Lord addresses the seven Churches. First he acknowledges that they have done well. They have laboured, they have been patient and strong - (the order). Then he adds, "But I have something against you..." and shows where they have gone astray - (the disorder), and if they are willing, with his help all can be restored to order. The Divine Watch- man and Redeemer, however, cannot repair everything in spite of us. On waking up, we have to learn to use our miraculous system responsibly and for the good of others.
As we lie down to sleep, it is a wonderful and reassuring thought that our Lord, who guards us "never slumbers, nor sleeps." (Psalm 121, 4)