On Work

"Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it." Genesis 2:15 It is important to note that the word "work" isn't actually used here. The words are "tend" and "keep." But if we insist on saying that God ordained man to work, as I've heard so many theologians and preachers say, we must ask the question, what is meant by "work?" In 2:5, we do read that there was no man to till the ground...." but again, i think this word "work" is problematic, because of the biases it carries. If I ask myself the question, "why do I work?" the answer would be simple: I work primarily to earn capital so I can pay for my expenses and pay off my debts. Furthermore, I work to make enough money to afford certain extravagances that enhance the quality of my life, like books and flims. And finally, I work to give what I can to those in need, and to secure my (and perhaps one day my family's) financial future. It has always been my hope to do work that I believe brings glory to God and that is in line with the teachings of Christ, but in a society where market values rule and success is measured economically, this is a serious challenge, and consquently, earning income will always trump God-glorifying work.
When Genesis speaks of Adam tending and keeping the garden, it would not be proper to speak of "work" in the sense that I've just described. God provided all of Adam's needs. It was not imcumbent upon Adam to exploit his resources in order to earn income, in order to survive. "And God said, 'See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields sees, to you it shall be for food." Gen 1:29.
If, as Mykal has pointed out, God created all things in harmony, and originally nothing was meant to survive at the expense of life, how are we to understand "work?" (this is related to the "defecation question," because one could ask, "was there any "waste" in the garden of eden?) If you solely define "work" as labour, then yes, you could argue that "tending" and "keeping" imply "work." But because this is a context in which there is no negative value placed on "work," that is that work in the Eden was not exploitive as it is now, we must be cautious when saying that God ordained "work."

raj