Spiritually Speaking

Is Labor Day a religious holiday? Maybe …

Rev. Dr. Marcus B. Robertson Interim Priest in Charge Christ Anglican Church, Cashiers

Labor Day is one of those holidays that is often appreciated (as a day off from work) but not fully understood in its origins and history. But even beyond its history (dating back to the late 1800s) Labor Day can become a time to reflect on the nature of work and its role in our human experience. Genesis 1:28 is the first command given by God to humanity. God created man and woman and immediately gave them this charge: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” This text is often called “The Cultural Mandate” and describes humanity as stewards of the created order. Jesus refers to this notion of stewardship in several of His parables, where the story describes the master going away on a trip, turning over the management of his goods and property to others to “manage” or “steward” his wealth. Stewardship is an important element of biblical ethics as well as an important aspect of our human identity. Labor is the essence of stewardship. To work is to en ter a significant part of our created identity that God uses to bring us to personal fulfillment, self-worth and dignity. In today’s world, work is sometimes used as a political foil to criticize a person’s position on a certain law or proposed legislation. Socially, different kinds of work are sometimes used to demean the character of another and affirm one person over another. According to Holy Scripture, all work done faithfully and with good intent is to be honored, regardless of its social status. The steward who produced a twenty fold return was commended just as much as the stewards who produced a fifty- or hundredfold return. The steward who was criticized was the one seized with fear and who hid his master’s wealth in the ground. Work reflects who we are as creatures in relationship to our Creator, regardless of the status of the work or its ability to produce a certain level of income. I am semi-retired. I have a fair bit of time on my hands and my prayer has been, “Lord teach me the value of work – its joy, its reward and its discipline.” Owning 65 acres which needs management and maintenance, I find myself no longer sitting at a desk preparing sermons, counseling parishioners or writing newspaper articles (!), but hauling stones, working on a tractor, wielding a chain saw or clearing brush. I don’t receive a paycheck for that activity, but it produces within me a sense of accomplishment, an education in aspects of land management I never knew, and a deep satisfaction of being a steward in a completely deferent way than I have been for most of my life. My hands are dirtier, my back is sore and my clothes are coarser and more functional (less fashionable), but that’s OK. I’m learning the value of labor. And I know many people who are less fortunate than I. They have physical limitations that keep them from enjoying the labor I now pursue. Yet, they have found their niche in life when it comes to labor. They call and encourage friends and neighbors. They pray for the sick, the lonely and the infirm. They welcome visitors with a smile and a genuine spirit of hospitality. Their labor is different, but it produces the same kind of satisfaction in the human heart. By the time you read this, Labor Day may have come and gone, but it stands as a reminder of what it means to be human. We are created for a purpose and that purpose involves labor of some kind. Such la bor grants us an identity beyond ourselves, for it reminds us that we are creatures who are called to relate to our Creator through the work He has given us to do

 

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Highlands-Cashiers Hospital News

 

When Ann Cox Strub stood up from the couch at her Highlands-area home around midnight on June 9, something was wrong. Ann and her husband, Richard “Dick” Strub, MD, a retired neurologist, had been watching the Knicks and Spurs game when her speech suddenly became slurred and one of her arms began making unusual, involuntary movements — a neurological symptom sometimes called “alien arm.” Dr. Strub initially watched closely to determine whether his wife might be experiencing a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, whose symptoms can be resolved. Within minutes, however, it became clear they needed help. He called 911. That decision – and the rapid care Ann received at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital would prove critical. Glenville-Cashiers EMS arrived quickly despite the rainy night and transported Ann to Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in about 10 minutes. Once she arrived, the hospital’s stroke protocols moved rapidly into action. Within 2-3 minutes, a Mission Hospital physician was evaluating Ann remotely through telehealth. The HC Hospital team performed a CT scan and determined she was a candidate for Tenecteplase, or TNK, a medication used to dissolve blood clots causing certain ischemic strokes. Ann received TNK just 23 minutes af ter arriving at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, well ahead of the national 45-minute door to-needle goal. For stroke patients, those minutes mat ter. The phrase “time is brain” reflects the urgency: when a clot interrupts blood flow to part of the brain, brain cells can quickly become damaged. Recognizing stroke symptoms, calling 911 and beginning appropriate treatment as soon as possible can significantly affect a patient’s outcome. For the Strubs, having that care available minutes from their Highlands home made all the difference. “If they hadn’t had the clot-busting drug at Highlands and given it to me so quickly, I might have been paralyzed and Dick would have had to take care of me for the rest of my life,” Ann said. “I have never been so grateful in all of my life for Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and Glenville Cashiers EMS – they saved my life.” After receiving TNK, Ann was transferred to Mission Hospital in Asheville for the higher level of neurological care and monitoring that can be needed following a stroke. The transfer did not delay the most time-sensitive part of her treatment: Highlands-Cashiers Hospital had already evaluated her, completed her imaging and administered the clot-busting medication. About 25 minutes into the trip to Asheville, something remarkable happened: Ann, who had been unable to speak, began talking again. Receiving TNK at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital rather than delaying treatment un til Ann could reach a larger hospital gave the medication the opportunity to begin working as quickly as possible. “Ann’s experience is an important re minder that our community can turn to Highlands-Cashiers Hospital when minutes matter,” said Tom Neal, CEO of High lands-Cashiers Hospital. “It is a privilege to care for our neighbors, and we are incredibly grateful to see Ann doing so well.” HCHospital is accredited for stroke care by The Joint Commission. Its Emergency Department was also recently named a 2025 Press Ganey Human Experience Guardian of Excellence AwardŽ winner, recognizing performance in the top 1 percent of Press Ganey clients for patient experience. It marked the fourth time the hospital has received the honor. Neal said the coordination among EMS, the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital team and specialists at Mission demonstrates the importance of having emergency stroke care available locally. “People in our community should know that if they are experiencing signs of a stroke, they should call 911 immediately,” Neal said. “Our team has the training, technology and resources to quickly evaluate stroke patients and begin lifesaving treatment right here in Highlands.” Two months later, Ann occasionally has difficulty finding a word, but otherwise reports no lasting deficits from her stroke. She was so grateful for the care she received that she returned to Highlands Cashiers Hospital with food and flowers for the team. “They had everything I needed right here, and they saved my life,” she said. Ann’s experience also carries a message for others: BE FAST when stroke symptoms appear. Watch for Balance problems, Eye or vision changes, Facial droop ing, Arm weakness and Speech difficulty – and remember that Time means call 911 immediately. For Ann, acting quickly meant receiving the right care in the right place at exactly the time she needed it. – submitted Cashiers Newspaper

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