Work and Relationships

                One of the readings from the final section of callings was "Vocation in Work" by Dorothy L. Sayers. Sayers talks about how people often live under the assumption that work is simply a curse that was put on man after the fall. She makes the argument that people were made to work when they were made in the image of God and uses the example of the artist as how people should feel about their work.

                It is a good point that pride and joy should be taken in work. If time and effort is being put into something, than it should be something worth doing. This applies especially well to school. No assignment should ever be done simply for a grade. Students should always try to learn and produce something great in everything they do. If teachers care more about students doing what is expected of them than about students taking pride and joy in their work, than they are not a very good teacher. There is a balance to be found, for sure, but it is about the students, not about the teachers.

                I mostly agreed with what Sayers had to say, I just think she took it too far. She seemed to place work at the center of our lives and I would say that it should always be God first and then relationships. Work is great, but relationships are always greater. We were created for work, but we were even more so create to be in relationships with God and with each other. If our work suffers slightly because of relationships, so be it, because relationships are what matters more. I think this is what Luke 10:38-42 is getting at (at the very least the relationship with God part).