I recently listened to a portion of a CBC Radio program that was very confirming of Scriptural injunctions I have long meditated on regarding the roles of knowledge and wisdom relating to well-lived lives. In this program interview, a very wise, successful and elderly professional was faced earlier in their career with being offered the opportunity for Stardom and Wealth if they would compromise their professional identity and enter into business with those who promised them “the sky”. All they had to do was “not be themselves” and sell the “veneer of their work” as their own in a mass-produced way. This highly skilled, wise and creative person was criticized for their decision to not enter into this soul-sucking, greed-based contract. Instead, following their realized purpose with maturity has led to them to do incredibly well in their field as they have continued to walk out their identity and purpose with integrity and clarity.
The program didn’t end its exploration of this aged and wise professional’s vocational decisions there. The next big issue the interview addressed was this person’s mentor’s sage advice (being in his 90’s) to this professional person in their early 80’s to not give up working if they could continue in a healthy fashion. How opposite this is to the “retirement” mentality where people hate their work and can’t wait to start receiving their pension, only to be unprepared to not work and in some cases literally die of boredom or the unhealthiness of inactivity! Again the scriptural mandate is to work and to not fall into a life of mere leisure. Hard work not only develops and increases character, it strengthens us widely and helps heal our soulical wounds in so many important ways.
My dear wife of 35 years and I were exiting a building last night after a fun evening out and a man (my age) approached me tentatively and asked if I had some spare change. I said, would you like a job? He was surprised at 1st, yet said, "very much" while brightening and focusing more on me and my eyes: “yes", (and continued with some questions from me), “I used to be a bookkeeper and I’ve done some other things…” I gave him my card and asked him to call me. Few ever do. The ones who have called, I help as I am able (unemployment and poverty are so very complicated and yet a simple job is so healing and helpful). Working is NOT our identity but it is a key aspect of how we develop our adult identity (assuming we have had the basic care direction and nurturance of a good home and community). Knowing who we are and what we are here for are age-old philosophical questions that our culture sometimes mocks. Yet THEY ARE lasting and difficult questions because they are so important to us finding Joy and Satisfaction in this one life we have to live.
However, as many of you who know what I do and teach about will recognize, we all are wounded and lacking various aspects of that good background that prepares us for work and a healthy, productive life. But, joyful, loving relationships in a good, mature community provides for the gaining of those things we haven’t received in life and the healing of the hurts as well. Working as long as we can and doing the activities that fulfill our purposes help bring us lives that matter to others and ourselves and give us Joy and Satisfaction in knowing we were here for a Reason. I haven’t included any Bible references, but if you message me, I will, as time permits and maybe we can chat a bit about why this article interested you enough to message me.
The program didn’t end its exploration of this aged and wise professional’s vocational decisions there. The next big issue the interview addressed was this person’s mentor’s sage advice (being in his 90’s) to this professional person in their early 80’s to not give up working if they could continue in a healthy fashion. How opposite this is to the “retirement” mentality where people hate their work and can’t wait to start receiving their pension, only to be unprepared to not work and in some cases literally die of boredom or the unhealthiness of inactivity! Again the scriptural mandate is to work and to not fall into a life of mere leisure. Hard work not only develops and increases character, it strengthens us widely and helps heal our soulical wounds in so many important ways.
My dear wife of 35 years and I were exiting a building last night after a fun evening out and a man (my age) approached me tentatively and asked if I had some spare change. I said, would you like a job? He was surprised at 1st, yet said, "very much" while brightening and focusing more on me and my eyes: “yes", (and continued with some questions from me), “I used to be a bookkeeper and I’ve done some other things…” I gave him my card and asked him to call me. Few ever do. The ones who have called, I help as I am able (unemployment and poverty are so very complicated and yet a simple job is so healing and helpful). Working is NOT our identity but it is a key aspect of how we develop our adult identity (assuming we have had the basic care direction and nurturance of a good home and community). Knowing who we are and what we are here for are age-old philosophical questions that our culture sometimes mocks. Yet THEY ARE lasting and difficult questions because they are so important to us finding Joy and Satisfaction in this one life we have to live.
However, as many of you who know what I do and teach about will recognize, we all are wounded and lacking various aspects of that good background that prepares us for work and a healthy, productive life. But, joyful, loving relationships in a good, mature community provides for the gaining of those things we haven’t received in life and the healing of the hurts as well. Working as long as we can and doing the activities that fulfill our purposes help bring us lives that matter to others and ourselves and give us Joy and Satisfaction in knowing we were here for a Reason. I haven’t included any Bible references, but if you message me, I will, as time permits and maybe we can chat a bit about why this article interested you enough to message me.