Labor Day 2026 has come and gone and yet I wonder about work. As a Christian I believe that work is a good thing. Through work we get to be creative people, following in the God of creation. As such, work ought to be more than just a way to earn a paycheck so that bills can be paid. Work is more than just a job; it is a way that we serve and contribute to those around us and the greater good of the community. In my history of work, I worked as a landscaper, stock boy at a grocery store, hot roofing, factory work building mobile homes, dairy, teaching and eventually psychology. Teaching and counseling were my careers, with only short times at the other jobs. I like work. I am retired and I still find myself working, and I contribute, even buy paying taxex.
There is a bit of satisfaction knowing that I did my part to create a better world for myself and others. Yet recently I heard someone badmouth his boss. I don’t know the circumstances, but it triggered something I had forgotten. My parents were married at the beginning of the Great Depression, in part triggered by the Stock Market Crash in 1929. Luckily, they were able to stay with each of their parents for extended periods of time. By the time I was born, Dad had been working for Leonard Refinery in Alma, Michigan for a time and finally retired from there.
My father never said he worked for Lenard Refinery. He said he worked for “Mr. Leonard” and always remained grateful to him for that job. Many people of that era had jobs at the Ford Motor Company. Some of them worked at Fords, while others said they worked for “Mr. Ford.”
While I cannot prove it, I think there was a time when management and labor were not enemies. St. Paul used the analogy of the body when speaking about the Christian Community. Can the hand say to the eye or foot, I don’t need you? In a similar way, can a boss say to his workers, I don’t need you? Can workers say to their boss, “I don’t need you?
I think not. Rather than be opposite each other, I think bosses and workers complement each other, meaning that they need each other and when they cooperate a living is had by all. Even in marriage spouses are not opposed to each other. What each lack, the other makes up for.
Also, a week after Labor Day, I’m concerned that more people are becoming dependent on the Government. Even some people, not all, who could work are letting the Government support them. Work is more than having a job. Being a good mother and father, good chlld, student, and friend are also jobs that we can all do in some fashion, even if we are handicapped. Prayer and study are also forms of work that most of us can do, even if we are not paid.
I guess the question to ask is, “How am I contributing for the good of all?” While work doesn’t make us free, it does allow us to be less dependent on a government that seems to be getting bigger and bigger. John Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Rather ask what you can do for your country.” How about what you can do for your Church, family, and neighbors? We are in this together.
“May the Lord bless and keep you. May he let his face shine upon you, be gracious to you and give you his peace.”
