On the sabbath day, ironically, we talked about work, and finding the spirituality, the presence or purpose of God, in each thing that we do. There is a difference between a job and a vocation, a calling. God placed a calling upon Jesus’ life, and God places a calling on each of us – a calling to be recognized and appreciated for what it is. It is a calling to make right use of our gifts to make the world a better place.
I shared a story. Recently, I met Luis, a brilliant, young immigration attorney, working hard for those facing possible family separation by deportation, and especially for Dreamers, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients brought here as children. Luis himself is here by virtue of DACA. He is undocumented. He put himself through UC Berkeley, and law school, with no financial aid, for he was not eligible. Among the many things he did was work as a dishwasher. He said he was the best, most focused dishwasher possible because he viewed his task as foundational to the function of the restaurant. Without clean plates, there would be no meals to be served to people. And in truth, his dishwashing was foundational to his vocation – to serve those families in need of his legal help today. Holy work. God in the dirty dishes.
Our work is foundational to the work of God in the world. Find the joy and thanksgiving in your work. Blessings —
