Thought for the Day, 14 May 2007

Rev Dr Alan Billings

Sooner or later, like the Prime Minister, we are all going to have to let go our principal life's work. And whatever we may subsequently do, giving that up is not easy, because our sense of self-worth is so bound up with it. In our society, we judge ourselves and others by the jobs we do, which is why, when we meet new people, we want to know what they do, not what they think.

This has never been universally true. Both ancient Greek philosophers and contemporary Indian swamis value contemplation above activity. In Hindu culture, relinquishing activity and devoting oneself to meditation is a valued final stage in life - because the object of life is not to change the world, but to understand it.

But our elevation of activity even extends into our times of contemplation. When I hear people discussing prayer, for example, there is often an assumption that it too is another way of changing the world - rather than a means of drawing nearer to God, aligning our will to his, being challenged.

I have no doubt that this focus on activity is a legacy of Christianity, particularly Protestantism with its emphasis on our daily work as a calling. But Christianity said something else as well: namely, that your real value and ultimate sense of worth do not depend on what you do, but on who you are. Feeling valued was about recognising yourself as destined for eternity, rather than being a good banker or brewer.

As religion gives way to a more secular humanism, this part of the Christian legacy is lost, making our sense of worth dangerously dependent on something ephemeral - the jobs we do. In a post-religious world, activity becomes a substitute for salvation so that when we have to give up those activities that have supplied meaning to our lives we are particularly vulnerable to feelings of uselessness and lack of worth.

So what are we to do? Those of us who are religious will remind ourselves where religion sees our real value lying. We can recall the words said over us at confirmation: 'God has called you by name and made you his own'. How could you possibly add value to that? But whether religious or not, we can all heed the wisdom of those older traditions that suggest that any life that has no space in it for reflection, is in the end not worth living because it is so vulnerable to factors beyond our control: we are dragged along by the daily routine, we are at the mercy of other people's decisions and life's vicissitudes. We need time out during our working life to be clear about our values and goals. If we do that, we shall live lives of integrity that will still feel worthwhile even when our main work is over.