Labor Day and the Common Good

For worship yesterday morning I chose to pray the Collect for Labor Day as the conclusion for the Prayers of the People. Generally, I like to pray a collect at this point that is not generic but speaks to the theme of the sermon, an current issue or event that will be in the minds of the congregation, or that focuses attention on a holiday or holy day that is being celebrated.

I've prayed the Collect for Labor Day many times before, but it struck me differently this time. Here it is:

Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

What strikes you in this collect? I'm struck by the underlying assumption that we are bound to each other, "that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives." Living in New Hampshire (the "Live Free of Die" state) I find this statement from the collect compelling. We are not simply a collection of disconnected individuals who happen to live in the same place and time. We are a community of interdependent individuals whose lives impact each other, for good or ill (and, of course, technology allows us to be connected even when we aren't in the same place). So, we pray in the collect that God will guide us so that our work, in whatever form it takes, will not be "for self alone, but for the common good."

This leads to other questions. What is the common good? If the purpose of our work is not to enrich and advance ourselves but to improve the common good, what are the goals of our work? What are we trying to achieve?

Laurent Parks Daloz, Sharon Daloz Parks, James Keen, and Cheryl Keen focus on defining the common good and the type of people who work for it in their book, Common Fire (published by Beacon Press in Boston, 1996). They define the core elements of the common good as follows:

• global scope;
• recognition of diversity;
• and, a "vision of society as composed of individuals whose own well-being is inextricably bound up with the good of the whole." (Common Fire, page 16)

They go on to write that the common good "refers to the well-being of the whole earth community -- its safety, the integrity of basic institutions and practices, and the sustaining of the living systems of our planet home. The common good also suggests broadly shared goals toward which the members of the community strive -- human flourishing, prosperity, and moral development. A recognition of the common good thus casts light on the significance of openness to new learning, critical and systemic thought, and the search for 'right naming' -- images, metaphors, language -- that convey the deepest truths of our common life." (Common Fire, page 16).

The Collect for Labor Day, then, gives us the language (the "right naming") to better understand our purpose as a people created by God. It also articulates a vision of a society in which diverse peoples are not separated by their differences but "inextricably bound up with the good of the whole."

At its best, a faith community embodies the language expressed in this collect. It exposes us to people of diverse backgrounds and opinions who gather around a common table. And, it challenges us to live our lives not for ourselves alone but to consider at all times the needs and desires of others.

"All human beings need identifiable networks of belonging to ground us in a positive sense of place and identity." (Common Fire, page 13) At the intersection of community responsibility and individual choice, the church reminds us that we are not called by God to work solely for our own gain but primarily to dedicate ourselves to the good of all. Because what is good for all, is ultimately good for me, isn't it?