Work, worth, and the Kingdom of God
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The right light of the first north nave of St John's Church, Piddinghoe, East Sussex (detail). It was made by the firm of Wailes and Strang in 1882, and depicts the Holy Family.
Photo credit: Antiquary/Wikimedia Commons
(https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piddinghoe_glass_6.jpg)
IT'S JUST KEVIN
By Very Rev. Kevin George
MAY 1 MARKS International Workers’ Day. With that in mind I invite us to think about work.
For some, it passes quietly. For others, it carries echoes of labour movements and the ongoing struggle for fairness and dignity. But for the Church, it opens a deeper question—one that reaches beyond economics or politics: What does God have to do with our work?
Not simply the work we do for the Church. Not simply what we offer in volunteer service. But the work that fills our days—the meetings, the shifts, the tasks that may feel routine or even burdensome. Because the truth is this: most Christians will spend far more time at work than they ever will in church. That matters.
Matthew Kaemingk and Cory Willson put it this way:
“The workplace is, in many ways, the primary medium through which the laity will either obey or reject Christ’s commands. The workplace is a critical if not the critical space in which workers will either learn to follow Christ faithfully or walk away from him.”
It is a striking claim—and, I think, a truthful one.
We often imagine faith as something interior, something held quietly in the heart.
The Gospel, however, presses outward—into relationships, into communities, and into the ordinary places where life unfolds. Into offices and classrooms. Construction sites and kitchens. Boardrooms and break rooms. The workplace is not separate from discipleship. It is one of its primary arenas.
The Christian tradition has always insisted that work has dignity—not because of what it earns, but because of what it reflects. Scripture begins with God at work—creating, shaping, bringing life into being. And human beings, made in that image, are invited to participate in that creative and sustaining work. This means that all labour carries dignity. Not just the work that is visible or celebrated. Not just the work that is well-paid. But the work that is quiet, unseen, and often overlooked. Preparing meals. Cleaning spaces. Caring for others.
Work is not simply a means of survival—it is a participation in God’s care for the world. And yet, we know how easily that dignity is obscured. We live in a culture that measures worth by productivity. That asks not “Who are you?” but “What do you produce?” That quietly ranks people by income, status, or output. And in such a world, many come to believe a lie: that their worth is tied to their work.
The Gospel tells a different story. Before we are workers, we are beloved. Thank God for Unions who have always pushed back against this reductionist mindset, elevating the worker and their dignity, safety and value as a person. Our value is not earned. It is given. It does not rise or fall with success or failure, employment or unemployment. It is grounded in the unshakable love of God.
In our life together at St. Paul’s Cathedral—and especially through Paul’s Place—we encounter this truth again and again. We meet people whose relationship to work is complicated. Some are searching. Some are unable. Some are working hard simply to get through the day. We see the working poor every day. And what becomes clear, very quickly, is this: A person’s dignity is not diminished by their circumstances. They are not less worthy. Not less beloved. Not less human. In the Kingdom of God, a person’s worth is never measured by a paycheque.
For followers in the Way of Jesus, the workplace becomes something more than a necessity—it becomes a place of formation. A place where faith is lived or left behind. Will I act with integrity when it costs me? Will I treat others with dignity when it is inconvenient? Will I pursue justice—or remain silent? These are not theoretical questions. They are the daily substance of discipleship. It is here, in the ordinary rhythms of work, that faith is tested, shaped, and, at times, transformed.
May 1 reminds us that work matters. But the Gospel reminds us of something deeper still: That our worth does not come from what we do, but from who we are and whose we are. And it is from that place—from being known and loved—that we are invited to work. Not to prove ourselves. Not to earn our place. But to participate, however imperfectly, in the life and love of God.
In freedom. In dignity. And in hope.
Very Rev. Dr. Kevin George is Rector of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, and Dean of Huron.