The dignity of the worker
Today we celebrate the memorial of Joseph the worker. More than celebrating the dignity of work, we celebrate the dignity of the worker. The book of Genesis speaks of the inherent dignity that lies in the very fiber of our existence. The very moment God loved us into existence, He encoded in us the privilege of being like Him and thus being co-creators with Him. He didn’t leave us a static world but one that we could shape and change and care for. He gave us the power to work.
When God put us in charge of the earth, He intended that the work of our hands would be life-giving. This power to co-create something of value and life-giving brings out the true dignity of a person. It is known to us that unemployment brings about depression and is a personal blow to one’s self esteem. It incapacitates a person.
This is the reason why it is the moral obligation of a nation’s government to insure that every one is employed in a job befitting the person’s dignity as a child of God and one that compensates a just wage. It is the duty of the employer to provide a wage that is proportional to living a normal, balanced life. It is a good reminder for us that more than estimating the value of the work done, we need to value the divine worth of the worker behind it. It has practical consequences for us who live in a country where the minimum wage is not exactly a just one.
But God doesn’t want labor to be our end. In a world where workaholism, productivity and the amount of the remittance sent home are signs of success, God tells us that our worth ultimately doesn’t rely on the work that we build. It relies in knowing that our home is in the Creator. This is what it means to rest. To rest is to consciously be in the presence of God and to know that even the work of our hands fade. And only one thing is important: to experience the rest of being with the Lord.
When God put us in charge of the earth, He intended that the work of our hands would be life-giving. This power to co-create something of value and life-giving brings out the true dignity of a person. It is known to us that unemployment brings about depression and is a personal blow to one’s self esteem. It incapacitates a person.
This is the reason why it is the moral obligation of a nation’s government to insure that every one is employed in a job befitting the person’s dignity as a child of God and one that compensates a just wage. It is the duty of the employer to provide a wage that is proportional to living a normal, balanced life. It is a good reminder for us that more than estimating the value of the work done, we need to value the divine worth of the worker behind it. It has practical consequences for us who live in a country where the minimum wage is not exactly a just one.
But God doesn’t want labor to be our end. In a world where workaholism, productivity and the amount of the remittance sent home are signs of success, God tells us that our worth ultimately doesn’t rely on the work that we build. It relies in knowing that our home is in the Creator. This is what it means to rest. To rest is to consciously be in the presence of God and to know that even the work of our hands fade. And only one thing is important: to experience the rest of being with the Lord.
