Labor – whether in the workplace or in the home – is important for our purposes in life. From the very beginning, God gave humans work to do as caretakers of creation (Genesis 2-3). In the letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul encourages Christians to take work seriously. Thus, scripture is clear about the matter of labor or work. We want to know that our work has some meaning, that our day-by-day activity make some meaning in the lives of other people.
Some people have experienced some challenging times this year related to their own experience of labor. Lives have been disrupted, and there are people in our society who are hurting today. There are employers and small business owners who are challenged to stay afloat let alone believe in the reality of a profit. There are folks who have lost their jobs, jobs upon which countless households depend for their financial security and well-being. For many across the land, the future is unsettling.
These aforementioned things can make Labor Day heavy with meaning. As we get ready for a long weekend in the next couple of days, officially closing out the summer months, let us hold in prayer those who are unemployed, those who may have lost healthcare insurance, those face eviction, those whose sense of security and purpose have been disrupted.
To that end, let us pray together a prayer from one of our denominational resources:
“O God, you have bound us together in this life. Give us grace to understand how our lives depend on the courage, the industry, the honesty, and the integrity of all who labor. May we be mindful of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and faithful to our responsibilities to them; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
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