Great America Series: The Judeo-Christian Work Ethic

Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 NLT

Then Came Bronson

When I was a kid, our family would sometimes watch a movie on television on Friday night and the theme of the movie would set the stage for my play on Saturday. Once we watched a movie that later became a series, called "Then Came Bronson" . "Bronson" in the movie was played by Michael Parks and he drove a Harley in the movie. My friend Steve and I converted our "Stingray" bicycles into Harley's and we each became "Bronson" on numerous occasions after that. There is a line in the movie that has stayed with me all these years (though I just watched the scene on You Tube and it was nothing like I remembered)... Bronson has found work for himself and the girl that has just imposed herself into his life. It's hard, manual labor in a brickyard - so the girl plops herself down next to a pile of bricks and sulks. Then Bronson delivers the line: "You don't work - you don't eat!"

I must have been eight years old but the line stayed with me.

I later learned that it originated with Paul in his letter to the Christians in a city called Thessaloniki.

Somehow early Americans got this concept. Oh there was a Gentry Class of "Gentlemen" who landed on our shores in the early days. Their very existence was based on the fact that they did no work... it wouldn't do for them to soil their hands with labor. But their ilk quickly faded under the harsh realities that this new world held. If they didn't work, they might not survive.

You Don't Work - You Don't Eat!

You may remember from an earlier post, how William Bradford, the Governor of Plymouth Colony, was inspired to put forth the practice of private property and families becoming self-sufficient. He found that people planted and tended their fields with much greater zeal when they owned the benefits their work produced. And the whole colony was improved.

There is a book that, though it is somewhat dated, addresses the modern work ethic in America, it's called "Why America Doesn't Work" by Charles Colson and Jack Eckerd. One discussion in the book touches on how America provided an opportunity for two "classes" of people to combine their efforts and achieve more... the "working class" and the "intellectual class". In other societies people were relegated to one class or the other. America's system allowed for people to do both. They could be very intellectual and very hard working at the same time. Thomas Edison, Henry Ford... they were among those men of great minds and strong backs.

I want to tell you a little bit of the story of another giant in the field of work and proper work ethics. His name was Booker T. Washington. I believe he was a picture of the "excellent spirit" that the Bible reports was present in the Prophet Daniel.

Booker T. Washington was born a slave and knew the sufferings caused by that wicked system. But so kind was he, that in his book,"Up From Slavery", he also pointed out how the system took it's toll on the slave owners as well. In some cases, slaves did as little work as possible and with just enough care to avoid punishment (understandably); slave owners, on the other hand, became very lazy and listless put all of the work off on the slaves. The end results was that houses and farms fell into disrepair, doors and gates lagged off their hinges, and things took on a dim appearance.

But I want to tell you about Booker T. Washington's college examination.

Booker T.'s College Entrance Exam

As a young man, Washington drank in any education he could find. Shortly after the slaves were freed, Sunday Schools were formed in order that former slaves might learn, and Washington says the principle book studied in Sunday School - was the Speller.

Washington sought out education but when a school opened nearby, his father did not allow him to go; sending him instead to work in the salt-mines. Washington hired tutors to teach him at night.

When he learned that a boarding school where African-Americans were allowed to attend, had opened in Hampton, Virginia, he set out to attend.

After many disappointments and hardships, he finally left his home, headed for Hampton. He eventually reached Richmond, where he found that he was out of money and 82 miles short of Hampton. So he lived under a boardwalk for a time and worked to earn enough money to set out again.

When he finally arrived at the school, he was not immediately accepted. In fact the "head-teacher" just wouldn't tell him whether he could stay or not- for several hours. Though his rearing hadn't educated him on how to present himself, he knew that his appearance was important; he also knew that head-teacher had doubts about his character based on his disheveled appearance.

Then opportunity knocked... the head-teacher came to him and told him that the recitation room needed sweeping.

That tired, ragged, road-weary young man, lunged at the opportunity to "show what was in him". He swept the room three times; then he grabbed a dusting cloth and dusted the room four times. He dusted the woodwork on the walls, the tables, the benches, and the desks four times. He moved every piece of furniture and dusted in every corner and every closet.

When the head-teacher returned, she thoroughly inspected every area of the entire room. She then pulled out a handkerchief and wiped down the walls to check for dust. She found no particle of dust.

The work paid off. She quietly remarked "I guess you will do to enter this institution" .

Booker T. Washington referred to that room cleaning as his "college entrance exam".

I had an opportunity to visit his Tuskegee Institute a few years ago, and I was so impressed with the high expectations the organization placed upon it's students in it's early days. Self-discipline was required at every juncture. There was also a great pressing toward self-sufficiency. This was manifested in the fact that the very bricks that made up the many buildings on campus were manufactured right there on campus.

Booker T. Washington - a man that would work so hard just to have the opportunity to learn - is an example of that merging of intellect and a strong back.

Intellect and a Strong Back

This emphasis on work as an integral part of man's existence yielded a "common sense".

Common sense refers to wisdom or intelligence that has been tempered by actual experience. I have been told by more than one veteran nurse, that when a new nurse graduates from college - it takes awhile (for some a year or so) to really become a nurse. There is no substitute for literal hands-on training.
Often individuals that have received high levels of training can be quite confident; however that confidence is quickly deflated when they try to put that training to actual use. Once they go through the trial of real life experience, those highly trained individuals will often emerge with a new - quieter confidence, a confidence that is real and solid.

This points up a problem that I see today in our society and in our system of education. There is a strong emphasis on self-esteem; sometimes at the expense of authentic education. Graduates come out with great self-esteem but it is not substantive . . . they may not understand that in the real world 2+2 always equals 4 ... no matter how you feel about it. They may not understand that creative spelling is not really considered a strong point when one is submitting a resume or job application.

Furthermore, some of those graduates have such self confidence that they would not dare stoop so low as to take a job "flipping burgers" or if they do, they don't understand why the manager can't see their great self-esteem and promote them quickly. Their expectations are unreasonable.

In the Human Resources field I have often seen applications with sporadic work history. Often an individual will work 3 months here, 6 months there. They will often list as their reason for leaving: "couldn't move up any higher in the organization".

What if Booker T. Washington had adopted that mind-set? What if he had traveled to Hampton, Virginia with that attitude? Well, I'm afraid he never would have even made it to Hampton. And I am pretty sure he would have tossed the broom back to that head-teacher and sulkily stalked out with his self-esteem intact.

Some time back I heard a sermon that pointed out a misconception I had previously held. Having what I hope is a Biblical worldview - I have always supposed that work was actually part of the curse that Adam brought on the world when he sinned. But a closer reading of the text in Genesis 3 reveals that it was the ground that was cursed... the ground would be hard and would produce thorns and thistles and things that make work difficult. So the fact that work is sometimes difficult is partly a result of Adam's sin.

However, work was going on well before Adam sinned. Adam was given charge and responsibility over the animals and he was instructed to tend or work the garden.

Work and responsibility are God's gift to us. And its yields are multitudinous: self-confidence, exercise, profit, health, enthusiasm, joy, prosperity ... these are just a few.

"Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice" Henry Ford

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

"Up From Slavery" Booker T. Washington, originally published : New York : Doubleday, Page, 1901.

"Why America Doesn't Work", Colson, Charles M.; Eckerd, Jack. Word Publishing. 1991.