PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

September 4, 2022

LABOR DAY 2022

When I was growing up in Cortland, a small town in Ohio, Labor Day weekend marked the end of summer and the beginning of school.  It was a time to get in one last family trip.  Sometimes relatives would visit us.  Our garden was shutting down which meant that my weeding responsibilities were coming to an end.  However, the raking of leaves from the numerous trees where we lived loomed over the horizon.

When I retired to Plymouth, Indiana, Labor Day weekend became synonymous with Blueberry Festival.  Each year 300,000 or more people descend on our small town.  This is when many non-profits make their money for the year.  The festival is just a short ten minute walk from my front door.  From my back porch I can see about 50% of the fireworks on Sunday night.  This year Diane and I are helping with the Blueberry Stomp.

What gets lost in all of the celebrations, parties, and activities is the reason for Labor Day in the first place.  Its roots go back to the 19^th century when the labor and trade union movements proposed a day to celebrate the importance of labor.   It became an official federal holiday in 1894.  The present day labor shortage is a reminder of the importance of labor to the American economy.  It would be interesting to calculate how many people it takes each day for our lives to run smoothly.

The Book of Proverbs emphasizes the importance of work if a person is to be well rounded.  “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich (Proverbs 10:4).”   “One who is slack in work is close kin to a vandal (Proverbs 18:9).”In all toil there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty (Proverbs 14:23).” “Those who till their land will have plenty of food, but those who follow worthless pursuits have no sense (Proverbs 12:11).”

One of the values of entry level jobs is teaching people to have a good work ethic.  Many of these are filled with high school students or recent graduates. One of the marks of a good employee is showing up. A business, especially a small business, is dependent upon their employees showing up if they are to be successful.  Hopefully, most would have learned this in school by being regular in attendance.  The quotes from the Book of Proverbs emphasize the importance of showing up if one wants to be a success in life.

In the 9^th chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about his rights as an apostle.  One of these rights is to be paid.  In part, he argues, “This is my defense to those who would examine me.  Do we not have the right to our food and drink?  Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?  Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?  Who at any time pays the expenses for doing military service? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat any of its fruit?  Or who tends a flock and does not get any of its milk? (I Corinthians 9:3-7)”

Paul is saying that a worker should be paid fairly for what he or she does.  This gets at the heart of the original purpose of Labor Day.  In the 19^th century unions worked to ensure that workers had fair wages and good working conditions.  One of the responsibilities of an employer is to provide an environment where the employees can thrive and prosper.  This includes all those who make it possible for all of us to have a good Labor Day weekend.