The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Learn the lesson that, if you are to do the work of a prophet, what you need is not a scepter but a hoe.

– Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153)

Work is part of a full life and can be a means of self-expression. When done with others, it fosters community. It provides the necessities of living.