What Do You Do for a Living?

For years, I have labored to answer one of the most common questions asked during introductions, “What do you do for a living?” Those who know me well are as amused as I am by the question and by my awkward struggle to answer it in tangible terms. We are also amused by the inevitable confusion of the questioners who are searching for a common reference that does not exist. You see, if the question were direct, the most direct answer to the question would be “I glorify God for a living,” which is true but not very specific as to the way I do it. Likewise, the question is not a direct question of purpose; it is an implied question that solicits an answer that will define the tangible, professional expression of my identity so they can understand who I am and decide how or if they can relate to and value me. In other words, they want to know, “Who in the world am I?” Since I do not have a worldly purpose, a worldly employer, or material evidence of the utilization of my professional skills, answering the question in such a way that avoids wrongfully identifying me as unemployed has been challenging in some cases, unavoidable in most.

In an effort to overcome this challenge, I recently asked an elder in my church to whom I had been recently introduced how he would answer the question based on the general information he knew about me. He answered “mystery,” more as an assessment of who I am than what I do. However, his answer rightly represented the general definition and manifestation of my work, especially since explaining it was still a mystery to me. I had even used his answer before in metaphorical context, comparing my work with a scientist whose job title is in Latin and few even know his work exists. Since the comparison only revealed my struggle to answer the question, the failure to provide an answer to the question only added to the confusion. Therefore, though his answer did not provide the functional answer I needed, I was affirmed by his applying the term I needed to describe my dilemma. Well said.

Given the recent growth of demand imposed on me by the increase of new introductions, I have been driven harder of late to supply an adequate description of my profession. While I still cannot find a vocational title that sums up my work, I have been able to find some recognized, legitimate titles via Wikipidia that provide the closest worldly comparisons to date. Naturally, those who only qualify a profession as legitimate based on monetary compensation will still believe I am not gainfully employed. Since gain is a reference to value, I do not believe the value of my compensation will ever be recognized within those terms, much less my work. Even among those who recognize the value of my profession, many will not recognize my qualifications or the value of my performance within the terms I provide. Nevertheless, since my goal is to communicate an accurate function of my performance rather than to gain approval, I am confident the following answer will suffice for those who have any hope of understanding what I do. If not, I will keep trying according to the understanding God gives me.

Advocate/Translator
I speak for the lost, the poor, the suffering, and the disenfranchised of the world as a voice for the voiceless, crying out on behalf of those in need to those who are either ignoring or rejecting them. While they do not have the ability to be heard, I do. Intrinsic to my work is living and working among them so I am able to continue to listen to them and translate meaning to those who are also listening but lack the context of experience/empathy needed to understand what they are hearing. I also provide understanding and vocabulary to the voiceless as I teach them how to speak for themselves.

Arbitrator
I define truth when it is unknown or misunderstood, judging it to be what it is. Truth is not subjective. Therefore, when I pass sentence, my judgment is not based on my subjective, arbitrary perspective, rather on evidence I can prove should my judgment be called to question. I recognize the possibility and need for my judgment to be revoked should I be wrong and the intrinsic liability should that happen, thus informing my careful consideration before making any judicial claim. My “formal” educational qualification includes an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Spanish from Samford University and 72 hours toward a 96 hour Master of Divinity degree from Beeson Divinity School. For the past three years, I have independently studied the discipline of apologetics and applied it to personal introspection, Biblical exposition, existential understanding, and communal relations. My character, standards, values, and judgment serve as the more compelling sources of credibility.

Litigator
I defend the truth for what it is against false accusations and erroneous claims, providing objective evidence as proof, predominately from the self-evidence of existentialism and logical reasoning. Christian identity and purpose are the subjects in which I am most qualified and the church context is the one in which I have the most experience performing.

Mediator /Conciliator
A Mediator is described as a link between parties who are alienated by differences or disputes to negotiate terms upon which both can agree to come together in unity and peace. In the Christian context, this role is closely tied to the roles of Arbitrator and Litigator because the terms for agreement are intrinsic to the identity all Christians claim. Therefore, my role in the church is more accurately defined by the physiological context of Mediator, as a presence that mediates a response in the body’s tissue. Physiologically, I work in the church (the body of Christ) to mediate their unification with the identity and purpose they claim to have in common, with the community of the Trinity, a unification that demands alienation from all that serves as a distraction from that communion. In other words, I work to bridge the divides between denominations, races, classes, genders, cultures, nations and selfish interests by representing and proclaiming the neutral identity by which we are all defined and reminding all Christians of our common purpose.

Once Christian identity and purpose is established, I work to mediate the union of the church with those for whom I advocate, taking on a neutral role for the sake of mutual understanding as I help them communicate with each other. I aspire to mediate the development of a designed, unified cooperative that delegates intervention according to individual function between churches, para church organizations, and government institutions that share the same goal of meeting needs but do more harm than good due to their divided efforts, inept strategies, and unqualified interventions.

A Conciliator has the same function as a Mediator but works with the parties on an individual level toward bringing them to the face to face meeting where Mediation takes place.

Writer
Writing has served as an effective discipline and medium for the development of the definition and practice of my other professional roles. It also serves as the most tangible evidence of my professional credibility.

Freelancer
If I am to be accurate, I cannot claim to be “self” employed since my “self” is currently in a coma. Therefore, I must emphasize this title only references I am exclusively employed by God since he is my identity and employer. I cannot be employed by the world or a church because the needed loyalty to employers would conflict with the requirement for neutrality in my roles as Mediator and Conciliator and would also violate the employment contract I have with God.

It would be right to pay me for my services according to the high monetary value they merit but I do not require monetary compensation nor do I want it. Hospitality is sufficient to meet my needs and provides inclusion in one of the contexts in which I work.

It is imperative I be involved in the leadership meetings and processes that work to develop new strategies if I am to fulfill my role as Moderator, an involvement I have only just begun to realize. Therefore, though I cannot be institutionally employed, I am confident these contexts require a respected endorsement given the prerequisite credibility required by many of my potential clients, namely those in positions of authority who need and want my services but need the borrowed credibility of someone they trust (ie. church staff meetings, governmental legislatures, publishers, and speaking forums). However, I am also confident this endorsement should be restricted to the aforementioned contexts. For church congregations in denial of the disparity between who they are and who they claim to be, entering their assembly in anonymity has proven to be very effective, an entrance that provides the needed evidence to expose their need for my help as I respond to how they received me as one of the least of these.

Like Paul wrote in Romans 6:19, I have written in human terms due to the human limitations I recognize as a barrier to understanding and facilitating the roles and purpose for which God has equipped me. I pray that barrier has now been mediated or has at least diminished enough to allow me to work with those who also share my vision so we can be mutually benefitted by the contributions we individually provide to the body of Christ. According to God’s sovereign leadership, provision, wisdom, grace, love and glory, may he continue to use me and all who are called according to his purpose to work together for his good and the gospel reconciliation of all things to him.