Bishop Hutterer: Essential Work
Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
““We conclude, therefore, that a Christian lives not in himself, but in Christ and the neighbor,” said Luther. “He lives in Christ through faith, and in his neighbor through love.””
Today I am grateful for essential workers.
As I nourish my body, I am grateful for the people working tirelessly in grocery, convenience, and drug stores.
As I send and receive packages while I shelter in place, I am grateful for the people in public transit, trucking, warehousing, and the postal service.
I am grateful for all who show up daily to provide childcare and health care, doing difficult and often unrecognized work in times when their workplaces—homes and institutions—are even more hazardous because of the risk of infection.
I am grateful to the people who keep our industrial, commercial, and residential facilities safe and clean and functioning during this time of disruption.
If you are one of these workers, thank you.
I get glimpses of positive moments in this pandemic. One is the realization for me and many others that these workers—so often invisible or ignored in our society—are in fact essential and deserve more than our recognition.
Of the millions of people in these work categories, 2/3 are women. 41% are non-white. Immigrants are over-represented in this category, and fully a third of all essential worker families live in low-income categories.
There is more to be done for these heroes than honoring them. With growing awareness on how dependent we are on essential workers, I hope we continue to examine what can be done for fair compensation and representation.
Thank you, people of the Grand Canyon Synod, for the essential work you do as baptized children of God. You are the embodiment of God’s love as you care for families and friends as well as strangers
Over these months, I have heard countless stories of individuals and congregations doing the humble work Christ called us to do: stocking food banks and delivering groceries, providing water to those experiencing homelessness, discovering creative ways to distribute clothing and face masks, reaching out to the sick and shut-in (with safe distancing), delivering snacks to hospital employees, working through church directories over and over again.
Jesus meets us as we offer ourselves in service to those we know and those we do not know. Through these acts of love, Jesus changes us.
I end this letter with one additional task.
Let someone love and care for you. The world is in God’s hands, not ours, and we are called to share our burdens. Just as you embody God’s love in your servitude to others, you will receive God’s love through the people around you. Recognize the gift and welcome that love into your life. It is essential.
The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer
Bishop
Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA
