Friday FOCUS September 05, 2025

Our Daily Bread

All You Who Labour
Reflection on Labour Day

After enjoying the last long weekend of the summer, many of us returned to work or to school on Tuesday. No doubt, many of us used the long weekend to fire up the barbecue, get in one last camping trip, or finish the back-to-school shopping.

For most, it was a secular civic holiday.

But it is time for Christians everywhere to reclaim the biblical meaning of Labour Day, remembering that our Lord was himself the son of a carpenter and dignified our labour by sharing our toil.

Labour Day has been a statutory holiday in Canada since 1894. Its origins can be traced to the workers’ movement, and the campaign to implement reforms such as the eight-hour workday and organizations such as the Knights of Labour. Underpinning this worker activism, however, was the biblical notion that workers deserve honour, dignity, and respect — not to mention a livable wage.

Christians affirm that ‘each person is called by God to work; that their labour honours God and is deserving of dignity and fair treatment; and that it is good to take a Sabbath break from all their labours.’

Indeed, in Matthew 11. 28-30, Jesus offers a blanket invitation — a Labour Day rest that lasts forever! “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,” Christ declares, “and I will give you rest.”

In today’s culture, however, it appears we’ve conveniently sidelined the biblical roots of Labour Day, and so it becomes just another long weekend.

We ought to relax, enjoy the weekend, and take breaks to rest and recharge. But maybe, just maybe, we could also give thanks for the role churches and ministries have historically played in protecting the right of all hardworking Canadians to enjoy the fruits of their labours.

But there’s another reason to honour every Canadian who rolls up their sleeves to earn a pay cheque. It is these contributions that are the wellspring of our national prosperity. Ephesians 4:28 instructs us to work so we ‘may have something to share with anyone in need.’

Work allows us to prosper, which enables us to be generous. That is why it is so important to take the opportunity that Labour Day offers to spotlight how the work we each perform contributes to the common good.

American Civil Rights Leader, the Rev. Martin Luther King, proclaimed: “No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

Yet, despite this biblical background, the church has historically overlooked Labour Day as a “secular” holiday.

But what if we changed that? What if we reclaimed a robust understanding of the biblical idea of work? What if we stood in solidarity with workers seeking justice and fair treatment? What if we supported our local small businesses that employ so many?

Norman+