Redundancy

The sight of stunned employees carrying their personal possessions in cardboard boxes out of the Lehman Bank building is etched in my memory. Gathering in a state of shock in local bars, some dulled their pain with alcohol and tried to rebuild self-worth through group support. And this might well prove to be just the tip of the iceberg; ‘downsizing’ will likely hit many of us with a new intensity as the economy falls into recession.

Whatever the cause, the impact of losing your job is often traumatic. Redundancy strikes at the heart of our most basic human needs for acceptance, security and identity. Inevitably, feelings of rejection, pain and confusion accompany being thrown out of an organisation. A friend of mine said it felt like being kicked in the stomach by an angry stallion. There is a very real sense of pain and grief. It is not just the loss of the job and the income; it is the loss of the sense of belonging to the workplace community, and of the associated organisational identity and future.

Thankfully, nobody can ever be redundant from their calling and vocation in the kingdom of God, or lose their identity in Christ. When the metaphorical rug is pulled out from under the feet of the Christian, it reveals the sure footing of the rock that cannot be moved. Nothing changes our self-worth, our acceptance, or our personal significance and dignity in God’s sight.

Redundancy is a time when the body of Christ has an opportunity to demonstrate the love of God to those feeling rejected. Showing personal friendship, being available to listen, providing financial help and prayer ministry are gifts we can give. Redundancy can be a time to reflect more deeply about our calling, so helping someone work through the process of understanding their gifts and vocation is a significant contribution towards redeployment. Redundancy is also a time when people ask deep questions about meaning and purpose. It is therefore a time when the gospel can be discovered or reaffirmed as really good news.

Whether or not we are in work, we enjoy a status before God of dearly loved children with no condemnation:
‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:38-39).

Paul Valler - www.licc.org.uk