“I thought a picket was part of a fence…”

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. – 1st Amendment, United States Constitution

Since I graduated from college with a degree in communications, I have a great appreciation for free speech. It is indeed the right of any person in this country to say what they would like, up to a certain point, that point being when the speech infringes upon the rights of others.

With that being said, I have to question the motives of a group of picketers which has set up outside my wife’s hospital room.

The second day we were in the hospital (read more about that here) we moved to a corner room with a window which opens toward the main entrance to the hospital. Keep in mind that our previous night’s sleep amounted to two hours between us. We were tired, yet happy to be moving to a more comfortable room. Until we heard the chants of the picketers.

The sing-song chanting completely destroyed any chance of sleeping. As I stared out the window, eyes glazed over because of sleep deprivation, I felt the burning of resentment starting to creep into my mind. Who are these people? What are they talking about? What do they want? Why are they here?

Honestly, the timing certainly wasn’t endearing me to their cause. I was able to determine from the grammatically incorrect signs what company was being protested. Ironically, the company is a drywall hanging company. Evidently they aren’t paying “fair” wages. Why protest this group in front of a hospital? I know that they likely have other buildings they are working in! “Go bother them,” I thought!

The protesting didn’t end that day. They have continued to come out every Tuesday and Thursday since we’ve been in the hospital, only to continue their same marching and chanting. I can’t help but wonder why they don’t realize that they could be solving their problem by seeking other employment. Yet, the sense of entitlement prevails.

You see, what these people are protesting is the lack of fruit for their labor. They want more fruit! But my humble understanding of gardening and farming leads me to understand that the solution to a lack of fruit is not found in letting the garden grow to weeds, but being more diligent to tend it (Galatians 6:7-9)!

This brings me to a thought: We have a tendency to look at the laws in our country as “God given rights,” but what does God think of such a display? Did God bless us with a country which allows us to speak freely so that people could wander about in circles complaining about an employer? After all, what fruit will such protesting really bear?

A very simple principle is presented by the wise man:

“In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty.”
(Proverbs 14:23, NASB)

When we work, there will be some kind of profit. Fruit will come of our labor. When our time which should be spent working is instead spent engaged in idle talk or complaining about the lack of profit, that itself is profitless. Oh what a great deception many fall prey to.

Here’s the point: When things aren’t going your way, or you want things to change, whether it’s with your job, family, or something at church, don’t just complain; This is profitless and deceptive. Instead, get up and go to work!

~Daniel Howell