WORK is the Most Tangible Agent of Transformation

1^st May is Mayday, International Labour Day, International Workers’ Day.

On this occasion to help us reflect on the purpose and dignity of human labour we could turn our focus on a man who raised Jesus up - not from death, but who raised Jesus in Nazareth, to his days of public life, to his days of doing the Word, to his days of embracing the cross -Joseph of Nazareth, a carpenter, a worker.

The most consistent thing that Jesus must have seen in his growing up is his father, Joseph working. Morning, perhaps long before he got up, Joseph must had been up and working. Evening, much later than he fell asleep Joseph must had been completing working on a wooden boat, or mending a broken chair.

St. Jospeh, the worker

Supposedly, with so poor exposure, where did this man get all this wisdom asked the neighbours of Jesus (Matthew 13:54-58). They were logically unhappy. I would see the opposite. He got all this wisdom because he was raised by a worker -a graceful, wise worker.

Escape from people who refuse to work, because he/she will have nothing to contribute to your life, no wisdom comes from a lazy person.

Jesus had the privilege of growing up seeing his heavenly father working and his earthy father labouring. What better way is there to grow up. How is it surprising that Jesus grew wise. Consequently enough, it did not take long for him to let go his house and begin to work in accordance with his Father’s will.

On this occasion we ask ourselves a question. Why do we work? The first answer that flashes across our minds is to get paid, make money; and make a livelihood. A little longer reflection will take us to the Christian theology of work. We work to complete God’s work of creation. we work to be partakers in the redemptive work of Christ. We work to provide sustenance to ourselves and to our neighbours.

Gathering from all these, I personally believe work is the most tangible agent, force for transformation. Perhaps, we also need other forces too, sound thinking, strong faith etc. Consider any civilisation, community, society, family or individual who have transformed themselves, its undeniably though work –hard work. A lazy society or individual reaches nowhere.

On this day we could remember another Joseph, Joseph Rudyard Kipling, a poet and novelist, who reminds us the same thing in his poem If.

If you can dream, and not make dreams your master.
If you can think, and not make thoughts your aim.

For transformation we must definitely get up from our dreams and thoughts; and start working. Dreams and ideas don’t change the world.

Work is also our preaching the Word of God. Work explains the Word of God. Work cracks the mystery of the Word of God. Our work is a proof of a god who is busy in doing good works. I would call to mind two lines form a Malayalam poem by Kalpatta Narayanan.

“Veenappol thangiya aparichithan

ente ullilulla sumshayam theerthu thannille”

That stranger, who held me up when I was falling,
Removed the skepticism within me of the existence of God.

In vain did the author wander about among ideas, books and speeches, looking for proofs of god’s existence; and found no sure proof. But here in the good works of a man towards one who is weak, poor and falling he finds a sure proof.

Along with psalmist lets sing, May god give success to the work our hands; and lead us and our world to greater transformation.

Comments

Fine Ways of Disregarding Vital Issues

Observing the preoccupations of Pharisees, scribes and religious leaders of his time (Mark 7: 1-23) Jesus commended that they have fine ways of disregarding the commandments of God in order to maintain human traditions and interests. They put aside weightier matters to uphold human decrees. In modern politics we hear the jargon, ‘politics of distraction’. In a country of mass illiteracy and unemployment, farmers’ suicide, etc. politicians and other key people divert public attention by discussing building temples, girls wearing hijab to college, etc. Noam Chomsky, an American social commentator says, “The key element of social control is the strategy of distraction that is to divert public attention from important issues and changes decided by political and economic elites, through the technique of flood or flooding continuous distractions and insignificant information.” The corrupt politicians must have learned this strategy from the pickpockets (or is it visa versa): they distra

If You Find No Meaning To Live By, Create One

People who think that there is nothing to live for and nothing more to expect from life, should realise that life is still expecting something from them, opined Victor Emil Frankl, an Australian neurologist and holocaust survivor. His book, Man's Search for Meaning is a powerful testament to human resilience, born from his experiences as a Holocaust survivor and his insights as a psychiatrist. It provides a vivid account of an individual's experience as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp . The book focuses on love, hope, responsibility, inner freedom, and the beauty to be found in both nature and art as means that help one endure and overcome harrowing experiences. The book's core message is that while we cannot always control our circumstances, we retain the freedom to choose how we respond to them. Through his observations in Nazi concentration camps, Frankl discovered that prisoners who maintained a sense of purpose—whether it was reuniting with loved ones, comp

Choose To Understand Than Judge

In a world quick to condemn and eager to judge, there exists a profound truth that sets the empathetic apart: they seek not to judge but to understand. This principle, simple in its statement but revolutionary in its application, marks the difference between reactive thinking and true response. The impulse to judge is deeply human. We are pattern-seeking creatures, constantly categorising and evaluating our experiences and the people around us. This tendency served our ancestors well, allowing them to make split-second decisions crucial for survival. However, in our complex modern world, this same instinct often leads us astray, causing us to draw hasty conclusions and make decisions based on incomplete information. Wise individuals recognise this limitation. They understand that every human being is the product of countless influences: their upbringing, their struggles, their victories, their fears, and their dreams. Each person's actions, no matter how seemingly incomprehensible

Learning Disabilities: A Call for Systemic Change

The article, Tackling learning disabilities head-on by Saravanan Murugeson and Anukrati Nigam, highlights the complex challenge of addressing learning disabilities in India's education system, where an estimated 8-15% of school-going children (50 million) face some form of learning disability. The authors emphasise that learning disabilities extend far beyond simple communication difficulties, affecting how students process, think about, and engage with the world around them. The piece identifies several critical issues in the current system. Many schools lack the resources and training to properly support students with learning disabilities, and teachers often misunderstand conditions like dyslexia, viewing them as simple reading problems rather than complex cognitive differences. This situation was further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, which left many teachers struggling to support students with learning disabilities in an online environment. The authors propose a

Leadership Is Holding Up a Mirror to Others

The true magic of leadership lies not in the stunning personal achievement, but in the quiet moments when we hold up a mirror to others and help them discover the giants within themselves. Like a masterful curator in a gallery of human potential, the greatest leaders walk among their people not wearing a cape of superiority, but carrying a lantern that illuminates the dormant greatness in every soul they encounter. Consider the orchestra conductor who steps back, allowing the violinist to find her own crescendo. Or the teacher who plants a seed of curiosity and watches, with knowing patience, as it blossoms into expertise. These leaders understand that their role is not to cast the longest shadow, but to help others step into their own light. When we lead by showcasing our own brilliance, we risk creating a galaxy with only one star— bright perhaps, but ultimately lonely and limited by time. But when we dedicate ourselves to unveiling the extraordinary capabilities hidden within other

Diwali Is About Finding Lighthouses

Diwali or Deepavali is a people’s desire, effort, and some success in eliminating darkness, ignorance, and evil. What is darkness, ignorance, or evil may be questionable. But that there are situations where there is an absence of light, absence of truth and knowledge, and absence of good is quite evident. It is a good day to light a few lamps in our lives, read a book to dispel ignorance, mend a conflict, and promote good. On 9 October 204 India lost one of its finest citizens and industrialists, Ratan Tata; and in the same breath, he was perhaps India’s finest philanthropist too. As the news about his demise and condolences poured in on every social media and broadcast media, there was another face that was appearing on the margins and even being highlighted by many—Shantanu Naidu. They met in 2014, when Shantanu Naidu was just 21; their common interest was love for dogs. Shantanu Naidu, as living and working with Ratan Tata has written a book of his experience with Ratan Tata, I Ca

Why Do Some Nations and Establishments Fail?

The article, A Nobel for explaining why nations fail by Prashanth Perumal argues that the story of human progress is not written in stone but in the institutions we build. As the 2024 Nobel laureates have shown us, the difference between prosperity and poverty lies not in geography or destiny, but in the fundamental choices societies make about how to organise themselves. Like architects designing a home, our ancestors and current leaders craft the institutions that shelter our collective dreams. Some build inclusive structures, with strong foundations of democracy and private property rights, creating spaces where every citizen can contribute to and benefit from economic growth. Others construct extractive systems that may glitter temporarily but ultimately fail to provide sustainable shelter for their people's aspirations. The beauty of this understanding is its empowering message: nations aren't permanently destined to be rich or poor. The United States transformed from a

SPRINGBOARDS and WALKING STICKS

Search This Blog