Flipping burgers. Building furniture. Selling insurance. Tech support. Retail dance apparel (Meggan). Making coffee (me). ________ (you).
What does it all have to do with the coming of the kingdom of God?
There are some commonsense answers about how being a follower of Christ affects the way we work - being people of integrity, the "Protestant work ethic," providing for the physical needs of our families and of others, keeping busy rather than being idle, the opportunity to share Christ's love with coworkers... the list could go on. These are all good things, and they can motivate us to work hard and work well. But what about the actual work itself? Is there something redeeming about the very act of making the best darn latte I can make? Can that have anything to do with the kingdom of God?
Many would say, "no - that has to do with the appetites of this world, not the things of God." But what's wrong with this line of thinking?
(I feel like most of you readers could answer that question yourselves. Go ahead, give it a shot, then I'll write what I have to say & you can see if we were on the same page. Feel free to leave a comment about what you were thinking at this point if you like.)
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Here's what I have in mind - our physical appetites are a part of the things of God. There is no great schism between the physical and the spiritual; these two "parts" of our lives are inseparably intertwined. Sure, it is common in our culture to live a life that inappropriately revolves around the physical appetites, and self-control is a virtue to be cultivated, but the pleasure of a delicious, artistic craft of the kitchen is a God-given pleasure.
In agreement with this, there is a physical side to the coming of the kingdom of God. If you've been following the series of posts, you know that the kingdom of God broke into this world with the coming of Jesus; it continues to break into this world through the work of the Holy Spirit (both in the Church and outside it); and it will have its ultimate fulfillment on this earth at the return of Jesus. If the kingdom has a physical dimension, our work can be a part of this.
This is where we need to pick up where the last post left off. Recall, we were talking about signposts, bridgeheads, and foretastes. Our work for the kingdom of God in this age is about establishing the presence of the coming fulfillment of the kingdom - call it a sign or a taste of that kingdom, or a bridge to it, whichever metaphor speaks to your soul. Just as this gives meaning to our ecological efforts, it can also give genuine meaning to our work. When I make the perfect cappuccino, it can be a signpost of the coming perfection of the kingdom of God. When I try my best to make a beautiful latte, but the foam looks nothing like a heart and everything like a man's twig-n-berries (happened, and definitely required correction before giving it to a customer), it can be a reminder that genuine efforts in God's name will no longer fail when the kingdom comes in its fullness. When you build a useful structure or invent a valuable product or play a role in some technological advance, your work could be something that is a part of the renewed earth - or, if not, it could join in the chain of precursors to that final renewal. A little abstract, but definitely awe-inspiring (and even pretty stinkin' cool).
In our work, we are given the opportunity to create something productive and useful where there once was nothing. It might not always be something absolutely groundbreaking - in fact, most times, it won't be - but it is still a creation that is working to build the future. It doesn't matter what it is, from babysitting to bull-riding: work can be an eschatological act.
Let us join in this prayer of Moses: "May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands." (Psalm 90:17, emphasis added)
Next post: for further reading (and that will wrap up the series).
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