A Disciple’s Hands
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I grew up in a blue collar western PA family, which means that all of the adults I knew had hands that were rough from work. The men worked in the mechanic shop, the rail yard, or the coal mines and the women had strong hands from kneading dough and making things from scratch in the kitchen. I’ll never forget the image of my mom and grandma paring fruit by pushing the blade toward their thumbs, which is precisely what we were taught not to do in Cub Scouts. They never seemed to get cut, however, because the callouses they formed from years of work made those thumbs impenetrable.
And yet, while those hands were rough, they always felt good wrapping you up in a hug or holding yours while you crossed the street. Their strong hands gave me a sense of security as well as an appreciation for hard work that I carry with me to this day.
It’s always been interesting to me that when Jesus wanted to choose his disciples he didn’t go to the synagogue or the ancient equivalent of the university. He went to the blue collar folk, choosing fishermen, for example, who would have had the roughest hands of all. It was those hands, scarred and scabbed by wet ropes and heavy loads, that would one day be used to bless and baptize—their work changing from fishing on the lake to fishing for people.
From the beginning of creation, humans were made to do meaningful work. We often forget that in an age where work seems like a burden. We were made to be stewards of the earth, to “till and keep it” as God instructs the first humans in Genesis 1 and our work, no matter what it is that we do for a living or even our work around the house, matters in that context.
Join us this week as we look at the value of work in the Kingdom of God and how we can gain some new perspective on the meaning of vocation. Labor Day need not just be about an extra day off, but also about an extra appreciation for the kind of gift that blesses a disciple’s hands.
Click here to join our 9AM Worship Service.
Click here to join our 10:30AM Worship Service.