Skip to main content

Without Work

Our economy has become more than a means of production and an exchange of goods and services. It is now the most widely used means for making meaning of our lives, whereas religion, family, art, or philosophy may have played that role previously. 

What do we do when our primary means of making meaning is not available to us? Some isolate. Some fret. Some fall into depression. Some protest. Some celebrate. Some are paralyzed with analysis. Some try new things. But even those who have spiritual resources to call upon to make meaning of their lives without the economy are not immune to wondering, who am I if I cannot prove my worth through my work?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why hope?

Hope is essential. Nothing matters much without it. But there is something nonsensical about hope, something unreasonable... ...and perhaps that is why we need it now more than ever. We are drowning in reasonable strategies and technical solutions and have ignored our emotional and spiritual natures as though they were soft and unproductive. Hope gets dismissed as impractical and relegated to the world of pleasantries. Hope is not an antiquated notion that pleads with us, saying everything is going to be ok. Hope does not fear reality, but risks seeing the pain, death, suffering, and destruction—and sees a future still. A future with love, and goodness, and joy, and flourishing. Hope is essential if we wish to imagine a future worthy of generations still to come. And yet, take hope too seriously, cling to it with certainty, let it be one more attachment in our self-help culture, we risk losing its creative power. Hope calls to be held lightly—playfully even—if we hope to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

“We’re all in this together” They Say

“We’re all in this together” is quickly becoming the mantra of CEO’s taking their turn to speak to this novel virus running over our planet at an impressive rate. As I hear their attempts to reassure present and potential customers that “they are doing everything they can” to keep us and their employees safe so we might keep buying their stuff online, I am struck with some measure of gratitude and a greater portion of boredom. The decision by some multi-national corporations to continue paying their employees while their doors are closed before the impending federal bailout was announced is laudable, and deserving of our gratitude. Using their resources to care for the people who make their profits possible is a tangible gesture of concern and public responsibility, as the Federal Treasury is about to open the flood gates. It is on that fact alone, that some of these retail stores may pique enough interest to continue generating revenue in this strange time. After all, the timing may...
Post a Comment
Read more

We Have Forgotten

We are forgetful creatures. We have forgotten our traditions. We have forgotten our potential in complexity. We have forgotten the truth found in nuance. We have forgotten the wonder of our imagination. We have forgotten the depth of our humanity. And somehow, simultaneously we have forgotten we are simple creatures, still subject to our environment. We have forgotten we are creatures of the Earth and bound by her rhythms. Neglecting our interdependence with the Earth has not made us independent, but helplessly dependent. Technology’s “progressive” march has lulled us to sleep believing we have subdued her - we would not, could not, will not be overthrown. The spiritual traditions have always known we are not masters here. Even science is now begging us to again discover reverence for the Earth before she has no other choice but to be rid of us. We have forgotten the rhythms of the Earth are not only around us, but also within us. Fetishizing quick-fixes, immediate pleas...
Post a Comment
Read more