The Enigma of Work

"The Enigma of Work" (12"x 12") Commissioned by a close friend of mine. The artwork illustrates the three separate figures in oil pastel on three individual sheets of card stock (scroll to bottom for images). I chose deliberately to not put them all on one sheet because I didn't want to unintentionally communicate to the viewer that these might be a progression of being, but to reinforce that they are three different options of being.

The proverb this artwork was inspired by says,

"The fool folds his arms and consumes his own flesh.
Better one handful with rest, than two handfuls with effort and a pursuit of the wind." (the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 4, verses 5-6)

In a period of searching, the author of this proverb shares this verse after concluding that competitive jealousy seems to be the primary, driving force behind man's desire to work hard. He’s experienced that there is something wildly fulfilling, yet somehow still vain and meaningless in the pursuit of wealth and industry. From this tension, he presents us with a verse of three types of people we can become.

First, there's the fool. The fool's illustrated figure is almost monolithic. His arms are folded and not only is he is not postured to give anything, but he also is not postured to receive anything. The teacher sees that choosing abandoning work altogether is an insufficient cure for his wrestling. Poetically illustrating their work in “handfuls,” the teacher then evaluates two types of working individuals: the man who has "one handful with rest," and the other with "two handfuls with effort." The man the teacher concludes is the better off of the three is the second man with one handful. He is the middle ground and is living better than both the fool who chooses to waste his life away, and the third figure who is consumed by his work and his possessions. His “two handfuls and a pursuit of the wind” never leave him time to enjoy the people or things he is striving for, and even the things he's gained won't last forever. The artwork of this third figure almost asks hyperbolically, “Can the over-invested man hold his children with hammers constantly in both hands?” Imagine trying to hug someone you love while holding your belongings in each hand. The image is as ridiculous as the reality is insincere and harmful. Can he really enjoy friendships or even the comfort of his home if he's always holding onto work?

This second man is not overcommitting to rest like the fool, while being wise to not overcommit to work and deny himself the enjoyment and purposes of life’s beauties experienced in periods of rest. He receives both the challenge and reward of work, on top of the gratuitous comforts of life.

Work is a good necessity for productive living, and it's not the purpose of man or the purpose of life. Taking proper time to enjoy the rewards of your work, such as physical or mental rest, enjoying the natural beauty of sunrises and sunsets that bookend your workday, or leaving time in your schedule to enjoy conversation and time with family and friends--these are the things the teacher, throughout the rest of the book, says are the true, evident, and felt "gifts of God" in life. He wants us to see there is additional meaning to life found in resting, and it’s in giving time to these joys that work itself becomes most satisfying. His objective isn't to just point out the familiar miseries of work, but to show how among the weariness in life's circumstances, there is redemption for our often disproportional perspectives and practice of work by way of acknowledging God's gifts that appear all around, during, and outside of our jobs.

The time spent with the friend I made this for has helped me to experience the wisdom of this proverb. During the evening times that we get to post up together, I often have lingering tiredness or mindfulness of my job that accompany me into our conversations. It's in taking time to talk about these things and enjoy his company that my ambition for work receives its proper balance; and with that my body, mind, and spirit are also rejuvenated. Truthfully, it's the mornings following those conversations that I feel most inspired to return to work than if I'd stayed home to push a few extra hours of designing. Rest brings levity and eagerness to our work. I know the experience has been mutual for him.

Throughout the searching everyone experiences for ultimate purpose, the teacher always lands from his spiraling again and again to the beauty and gifts of life (the natural beauty of the earth's rhythms; the enjoyment of provision; conversation and friendship) that are presented to us every day; sometimes multiple times a day, by a loving God who wants the people He created to be a people alleviated and free among the jealous, unsatisfied, and burdened; to daily find comfort and goodness in a world the teacher records witnessing unyielding cycles of corruption in.

The balance he presents is in seeing that there are in fact joys we receive as a product of our work, and while we can aim for those, there are beautiful, natural joys we may miss along the way that we don't have to work for that God provides out of His abundance and gratuity.

Who do you identify with most among these three individuals?