The Path of Virtue

Pre-Script: This post will be brief and probably unedited due to time constraints.

Yesterday I had the privilege of doing something that I really love – walking in the Lake District. Besides the stunning scenery, the rich, fresh air, and the invigorating exercise, something I always appreciate about this pastime is the symbolism of the journey (see my previous posts on walking). On the way to your goal (the mountain peak), you experience hardships and blessings; you make choices and face their consequences; you work hard and reap the rewards.

On this particular walk, I (re)learned two virtues in particular. The first was patience. Normally on a walk, I like to do the hard part first. On this walk, however, I had to walk for almost an hour before starting the ascent. I began to grow very impatient about half an hour in, and decided to try to cut across country rather than follow the path. As is so often the case when we lean on our own understanding, or follow the way that seems right to us, this ‘shortcut’ ended up becoming more of a ‘long-cut’. Sure, it was shorter as the crow flies; but I ain’t no crow, and had to traverse a thick bog for about a mile. When I finally reached the base of the mountain, my boots were soaked through, my spirits battered. If I had only followed the path set out for me, I would have reached the same destination in less time and with far less hassle!

I learned the second virtue – faith – shortly thereafter. My plan was to climb the mountain via a path that followed a waterfall. Although the path was marked on the map, I couldn’t make it out standing at the bottom of the falls. I again decided to take a detour, which again cost me greatly. Furthermore, when I arrived at the top of the mountain, I could see that there was indeed a path next the falls. So not only did I take an unnecessary detour, but I also missed out on seeing the waterfall. This reminded me that, even if we eventually reach our final destination, a lack of faith can mean that we miss out on the blessings that God has for us.

I was reminded of other virtues as well, not least perseverance – the will to keep climbing, to keep ‘pressing on to the prize’, despite heaving lunges and burning legs. I was reminded of gratefulness – not taking for granted the incredible place that I was in. I was reminded of wisdom – assessing that a steep gully was not the safest route of descent. And finally, I was re-reminded of patience – descending carefully with small, purposeful steps.

This was indeed a path of virtue!

Re: Work

As usual, as soon as I post a blog, new ideas come to mind that should have been included in the original post. This time, however, the ideas came from a good friend, Ryan Warren, who recently gave a sermon on "Work, Rest, and Play" (http://www.providenceconway.org/sermons/sermon/2014-02-23/who-we-are---rhythms:-rest--work--and-play). I listened to this talk shortly after posting my blog, and found that it was rich with insightful content. It also gave me some new ideas on the theme of work.

The first thing that Ryan's talk revealed to me was that our time is not spent only working or resting. There is also a third use of time, namely playing. This is important, because it shows us that we are actually meant to live life, and enjoy it "abundantly", rather than base our lives on producing. We are not on an endless sequence of work-rest-repeat.

Relatedly, the differences I mentioned in the original post between 'worldly' and 'redeemed' work are illustrated quite vividly in the Old Testament. The Israelites' bondage in Egypt was the epitome of the worldly conception of work - it was forced, assembly-line, laborious work with scarcely enough rest to allow for continued work (and certainly no play). Furthermore, the worth of the individual was measured in terms of what they produced, as each person was assigned a minimum quota of, say, brick production. If the quota was not met, the worker would receive harsh punishment. This is a clear reflection of 'the Law' - the never-ending yet impossible compulsion to earn one's own salvation, and the devastating consequences of failing to do so.

Not coincidentally, the Israelites' slavery in Egypt is also reminiscent of work in modern times. The working conditions, for instance, resemble Marx's description of factory labour during the Industrial Revolution. Continuing in a Marxian vein, the system of labour in Egypt reflected the commodification of work in modern society, whereby work is treated like a tradable commodity ('labour'), to which an exchange-value can be assigned. This implies that, in modern society, as in the Law, our worth is measured by what we produce. Furthermore, the use-value of work - its intrsinic worth - is lost. So, although we are not technically slaves in the capitalist system, we are enslaved by its fundamental laws.

I am not advocating an overthrow of capitalism, which I don't think would sit well with the rest of Biblical teaching (slaves obey your masters, anyone?). But I do think it points to the need to reform work: to make it more intrinsically valuable, and not to priortise it above rest and play, all three of which are God-given. Of course, in a fallen world, there are always some menial tasks that must be performed by humans, even if robots are performing more and more of these, and even if work reforms (such as job rotation) mitigate their tediousness somewhat. Personally, as I elaborate in my PhD thesis, I think that even these forms of labour can be 'redeemed' in a cooperative setting, which provides a sense of community and purpose (a point which ecohes Durkheim's musings on the division of labour). Again, I think that this form of menial-yet-purposeful labour, performed in a community setting, reflects much of what it means for work to be redeemed, whether in terms of 'good works' or simply your 9 to 5.

That said, this type of work reform may be a pipedream. Nevertheless, even if we remain within the present system of wage slavery, we must learn to let Christ redeem our work, and our rest. As Ryan points out in his sermon, when the Israelites were freed from bondage, God actually commanded them to rest on the Sabbath (Deuteronomy 5:12–5:15), just as Adam and Eve were commanded to work. The purpose of this rest was to ensure that the Israelites remembered from whence they had come, and how they had been delivered. We must constantly remember that, through Christ, our lives are also redeemed - even the menial (and possibly unjust) aspects of it.