Your Planner and Bank Statement as Moral Documents: News Fast Day 6

Jo Hunter Adams

About a year ago I wrote about jubilee and economic justice. 2009 seemed to be a year of consolidation: paying off debt, learning to eat a bit differently; it was also year of awesome family gatherings. 2010 begins a new season-- our finances look different (and we no longer own stocks), we are both in different jobs, and becoming parents in May also signifies a major change in our lives. It's a good time to think about living intentionally.

Perhaps that's why Jim Wallis's description of our planners and our budget as "moral documents" seemed particularly pertinent. The question that this brings is "Does the way I spend my time and money reflect my core values?" It's very helpful for me to ask what it means to spend much of the week at work-- both for the time spent there, and for the time that remains. I like these questions, particularly when I (or Eug and I) reflect on choices that may be counter-cultural. Radical decisions seem much less extreme. If I believe in jubilee and in economic justice, how does that play out?

Day 5, Fun and Drudgery

We've all heard it takes 30 days to break a habit. I'm on day 5 of the news fast, and I've decided it makes sense to fast for 30 work days (rather than calendar days), mainly to break the habit of seeking something relational from the internet "community". This week I've been discovering that some of my desire for community is satiated by facebook, blogs and news sites (aaah, the comments section of the NYTimes...) but that that's really not where I want to see those desires fulfilled. After the thirty days, I'll see what I can start reading again.

Which brings me to this story of how we experience much of our lives and relationships at work every day: A couple of weeks ago I heard a story on NPR about the relationship (or non-relationship) between pay and productivity.

When people get paid to do something that they used to do for enjoyment, scientists found a lot of people totally stopped doing that thing. In the context of work, I interpreted the question as: does getting paid actually amplify a sense of drudgery? One answer seems to be that one should not work long-term only for money; it's not enough of a motivation to bring satisfaction.

This seemed applicable to my work, so my goal is to reserve a couple of hours in my work week to catch up on the "big picture" of why I'm doing the work I'm doing. I've decided to use that time to keep up to date with the literature in the field and affirm my work in that way. What could it mean for you?

Haiti and News Fast Day 4

I'm on to day 4 of the news fast. I heard about the earthquake in Haiti and am praying for people there. I considered breaking the fast to find out more, but I decided instead to try to focus my prayers on Haitians I know.

How do you react to tragedy that is distant? What is your role?