Pastor’s Update: Labor Day Weekend
Friends,
Labor Day weekend brings to the forefront of our minds the value and significance of human work. It was first celebrated on September 5th, 1882 in New York city, sponsored by the Central Labor Union in New York. It spread to other industrial centers over the next few years and finally was observed as a holiday in much of the country in 1885. It’s interesting that the holiday came out of the exploitation of workers that was so commonplace during the Industrial Revolution. The need for laborers to congregate and form unions of course came out of the mistreatment of workers during the explosion of industry in the 1800’s. Labor Day was put on by these unions meant to remind everyone of the authentic value of human work and the rejection of the mistreatment of workers.
The Christian view of labor is that it is a privilege we have to share in the creative power of God. Through labor, God shapes the world with us as His “co-creators.” We’re tempted to see the necessity of work as a result of the fallen human condition, but it is important to note that in the creation account of Genesis, Adam is told to “till the land” before sin enters the picture. Work, then, is not a consequence of the fall but rather a part of God’s design for humanity. That does not mean work is easy nor is it where we find our entire self worth, but it does remind us of the redeeming quality of human labor.
Have a great Labor Day weekend!
Let us grow together in Christ,
Fr. Jeremy