We celebrate Labor Day for another year. As holidays
go, it is one of the least important for me. Maybe it is because I grew
up on a dairy farm, so Labor Day was pointless; we still milked the
cows twice that day just like any other day! But clearly, it is special
in many ways for many people. And I am always intrigued by the history
of a special day.
Labor Day was declared a national
holiday in 1894 by President Grover Cleveland. The traditional day of
celebration apparently was chosen by some unions in New York. Since I
have spent some time abroad, I know the traditional global day of
celebrating labor is May 1. Sometimes these international days of
celebration can lead to political protest and disruptions. It seems
President Cleveland was concerned about that, so he wanted to avoid that
May date. So the first Monday in September was a safer alternative.
There
are typical associations with Labor Day. When I was a kid, schools did
not begin until after Labor Day. Typically, Labor Day is seen as the
end of summer. That is probably why it is not the favorite holiday of
young people: end of summer and beginning of school!
It
also is seen as the beginning of the fall sports seasons. The
professional football season begins following Labor Day. Most fall
college sports kick off their seasons at this time of the year. And
then, there are some anomalies. My little town celebrates Octoberfest
in September! In so many of these celebrations, the end of summer gives
way to autumn and the harvest season.
So Labor Day
can be captured with twin themes: rest and harvest. It does not take
much thought to see how clearly these two themes---rest and
harvest---are also key pieces of any spirituality. Let’s look at how
each plays a significant spiritual role.
Anyone from
the Jewish or Christian traditions should already know about the
importance of rest. The theme of rest is built into the fabric of the
universe. According to the Genesis creation account, God worked at the
creative endeavor for six days and then on the seventh, God rested.
That theme is codified in the idea of Sabbath.
Sabbath
was meant to be a day unlike the other days of the week. Clearly, work
is necessary and valued. But Sabbath also seems to be necessary and
valued. But often the idea of Sabbath is neither necessary nor valued.
It seems in our American culture this has become very true. Once upon a
time, there were “blue laws” which dictated against stores being open,
etc. Historically this was rooted in the Christian cultural tradition,
primarily the Puritan early heritage of our country. These blue laws
were free Sundays from normal work, etc. Obviously, for Jews and
Muslims and a host of others, Sundays are not holy days.
As
usual however, we have gone overboard. By getting rid of blue laws, we
seem to have lost the valuable idea of rest. Now everyone can work,
play, and so forth 24/7, as the phrase goes---24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. That’s not healthy. That’s not meaningful. That’s not
spiritual.
A healthy, meaningful spirituality is a
balanced spirituality. Not surprisingly, monks “get” this. For
example, the Benedictine tradition builds the daily schedule around a
balance of work and worship. Of course, worship is not necessarily
rest, but like rest, it balances on obsession with work. It challenges
the assumption that worth is determined solely by work. There is a
place and role for rest.
The other theme of Labor Day
is harvest. This is a seasonal theme. In our part of the hemisphere,
spring is for planting, summer is for growing, and autumn is for
harvest. It is the time for gathering the fruits of our labor. It is
the season to enjoy. It is a time to celebrate accomplishments. It is a
time for “thanksgiving.”
Yet again, many of us in
this country do not do this very well. If our sense of worth is wrapped
up in work, then enjoying the fruits of our work is not done very
well. It is as if we don’t trust the legitimacy or value of enjoying
the fruits of our labor. In fact, some of us even feel guilty if we are
not busy---not at work. Again, this is not healthy.
We
were not born workers. We were born babies! We were quite useless as
workers for some time. But we are no longer babies. Adults often learn
bad habits and choose to live stupidly. On Labor Day it is time to
re-assess our spiritual condition. Two easy ways to do this is to ask
about balance in life. Do I balance work (or busyness) with adequate
rest? And do I have the ability to enjoy the fruits of my labor and the
good things in my life?
Or if you want one overriding
question, ask yourself how you determine your worth in life? If it is
determined solely by work…then you have work to do!
Those of us who have read theology or, perhaps, those who are people of faith and are old enough might well recognize this title as a reminder of the late Jewish philosopher and theologian, Martin Buber. I remember reading Buber’s book, I and Thou , when I was in college in the 1960s. It was already a famous book by then. I am not sure I fully understood it, but that would not be the last time I read it. It has been a while since I looked at the book. Buber came up in a conversation with a friend who asked if I had seen the recent article by David Brooks? I had not seen it, but when I was told about it, I knew I would quickly locate and read that piece. I very much like what Brooks decides to write about and what he contributes to societal conversation. I wish more people read him and took him seriously. ...
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