Labor Day — Past and Future
Hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, and parades are just a few of the things that mark the final celebration of summer. Labor Day does not come with as much fanfare as Thanksgiving and Christmas, unless you are in the market for a new mattress or furniture. Unfortunately, it is unofficially the end of summer. So, is there anything spectacular about Labor Day? Without a doubt, yes.
Labor Day may not have the pageantry of other holidays, but this one day (or weekend) pays tribute to those who labor paycheck to paycheck to provide goods and services to the nation. We do enjoy the day off now, but for millions in the 1800s it gave honor and dignity to those who labored long hours, often seven days a week. The stroke of President Cleveland’s pen did not just create a holiday; it gave workers legal status and provided a safety net against exploitation. “Labor Day honors the common American workers who helped change the way our country views its workforce, allowing for economic freedom and liberty.” (Josiah Soto)
Labor Day reminds us of the importance of work and its impact on society. It highlights the contributions, achievements, and economic gains made by a dedicated and committed labor force. It does not matter the job; all facets contribute. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
Yet long before Labor Day, God reminded us of the creativity of work. Through creation, He modeled for us in the first verses of Genesis the beauty and life that come from creation. “Let there be … and there was.” Throughout the creation process, God took interest in each and every detail until “God saw that it was good.” His final task was to create humankind. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27). Then God put them to work to take care of his creation and to give us meaningful work. (Gen 1:28-30, 2:15).
God reminds us that work gives meaning to our souls. “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” (Ecc 2:24-25). Generations later, President Theodore Roosevelt would acknowledge the importance of work, saying, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
The American, as well as the global, workforce has undergone many changes since June 28, 1894, when Labor Day became an official holiday. Travel that once took days can now be completed in hours. A handwritten note that would take weeks to reach its recipient can now be sent in seconds. Massive calculations that once took mathematicians days or even weeks can now be completed in a couple of hours.
Yet the man who helped put a computer on every desk and, ultimately, a computer in your hands now has reservations about the future he helped create. Bill Gates, in a recent essay, warned of the potential dangers of artificial intelligence (AI). The technology will rapidly transform the U.S. labor market and put millions of jobs at risk. Why hit the AI panic button? He feels that the speed of AI’s advancement, without a proper response from government and tech leaders, has crossed a critical point. “AI is changing the economy much faster than previous technological revolutions, at a mind-blowing rate, leaving less time to prepare for employment disruptions. It will hit these industries rapidly, over the course of a decade rather than a few generations.”
The Industrial Revolution of the 1700s and 1800s transformed a mainly agrarian and craft-based society into an urban and industrial society. It brought economic growth and new opportunities but also left behind environmental, health, and safety hazards, giving rise to squalid living conditions and urban congestion.
Workers who came from the countryside had to adjust to a very different rhythm of life. Greed drove industrialists to exploit children as young as 7, forcing them to work in dangerous and unhealthy conditions. The poor and uneducated were vulnerable to abuse. Family units no longer worked and did life together.
The dignity, beauty, and value of work, as God intended for His creation, had been manipulated and devalued. Workers were treated as disposable assets rather than as caregivers for God’s creation. Positive changes did come, but only after several generations of people seeking improvements. Laws were finally passed to protect children, ensure workers’ safety, and safeguard the environment.
“Although God’s original design for work was perverted by sin, God will one day restore work without the burdens that sin introduced…Work is of no value except when God is in it.” (author unknown). “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands.” Isaiah 65:22
Will artificial intelligence cause a similar upheaval in society? The obvious answer is yes. Every job, industry, and worker will be affected. Bill Gates added, “I am very concerned…If we don’t step up, the negatives will substantially outweigh the positives.”
Do we, as followers of Jesus, need to be concerned? Yes. Do we, as followers of Jesus, need to become overwhelmed by the prospects and give up? The answer that has endured every major societal, cultural, and governmental upheaval is a resounding no. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10. Will things get messy? Probably. Will it ever be hopeless? Never, because “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…” How much more hope do we need than that?
Celebrating Labor Day and the future.
God is great!
