The Joy of Co-Creation

A favorite seminary professor, Phil Hefner, talked a lot about the human calling to be co-creators with God. I have always been nervous about any tendency to imagine myself with divine attributes, but I also think it quite healthy for humans to lean with levity to the creative rather than the destructive side of life.

This very day I was visited by two young men who were deep into the joy of building things. One sized up the exterior of our house for replacement of siding, strengthening of an exterior stairway, and painting. I took his bid for the entire operation because he seemed to be genuine in his desire to both extend the life of our building, and do it for an honest and reasonable cost.

Then a young man came to take out our bath tub and install a walk-in shower. He worked hard and efficiently. He knew what he was doing and was delighted to tell me how he had built several homes from scratch and was now renovating his own home that he bought recently for $30,000. He sleeps only four hours a night and spends all his waking moments either building things or learning how to build even better.

I share on our blog page, along with the title of this posting, the photo of a young man sitting on our tractor. I share it because of the sheer delight he felt with the steering wheel in his hands, lowering and raising the loader, and rejoicing in a feel for creating things.

For years now I have listened to people of a certain political bent, praising men of the billionaire class as “job creators.” But the only billionaires I know of are those who make that kind of money firing people. They buy businesses, lay off hoards of people to cut overhead and spike profits.

I see that as job destruction. I see the people with grease on their faces and dirt under their nails as the true creators.

Here is to the joy of tractor driving—the joy of dirt, of sweat, of sawing, nailing, welding, washing, getting dirty again, digging, and building and getting things done.

Here is to the joy that is ours when we put our shoulders next to God in the wonderfully divine work of creation.