Chapter Four: On Control in Labour

Chapter Four: On Control in Labour

As I have pondered the marvellous contrivances of the human hand, wherein bones, sinews, and vessels obey a single will to grasp, shape, and release, so too in labour doth control reveal the divine hierarchy imprinted upon creation. God Himself exerciseth supreme dominion: “The Lord hath prepared his throne in heaven: and his kingdom ruleth over all” (Psalm 102:19, from the Septuagint Greek: Κύριος ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἡτοίμασεν τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ πάντων δεσπόζει – “The Lord hath prepared his throne in heaven, and his kingdom ruleth over all”).

Control is not tyranny, but the ordered governance that mirror- eth the celestial spheres, each moving in harmony under the Prime Mover. St Augustine (†430) teacheth: “Peace is the tranquillity of order,” and order demandeth just control (De Civitate Dei XIX, 13). Without it, labour descendeth into anarchy, as when the builders of Babel, bereft of unity, scattered in confusion (Genesis 11:9).

Yet control must be wielded with justice: the superior command- eth not for self-aggrandizement, but for the common good and the glory of God. St Gregory the Great (†604), in his Regula Pastoralis, admonisheth bishops (and by extension all in authority): “He who ruleth must rule with humility, lest power corrupt the heart.” The Council of Chalcedon (451) decreed that superiors must not oppress inferiors, echoing St Paul’s exhortation: “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1, Greek: Οἱ κύριοι, τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὴν ἰσότητα τοῖς δούλοις παρέχεσθε, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔχετε κύριον ἐν οὐρανῷ – “Masters, render unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven”).

Bad control is oppression, as Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites (Exodus 1:13-14), breeding resentment and rebellion. Good con- trol is paternal, as a shepherd leadeth his flock (Psalm 22:1, Greek: Κύριος ποιμαίνει με, καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει – “The Lord shepherdeth me, and nothing shall fail me”). St Basil (†379) counseleth: “The good ruler commandeth what is expedient, not what is burdensome.”

In thy labour:

• Submit to just authority, for “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ” (Ephesians 6:5).
• If thou commandest, do so with charity, remembering thou shalt answer before the Judge of all (Hebrews 13:17).
• Flee arbitrary control, which soweth discord, but embrace the control that fostereth virtue and productivity.

Thus ordered, labour becometh a foretaste of paradise, where all things submit to the will of God without compulsion.

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