Scaffolding – A People-Oriented Project

Though the word scaffold represents a platform for executions, that is, a platform raised, on which somebody is executed by hanging or beheading as a form of punishment, but it is employed here in this article for its other meaning that reminds us of a framework to support workers.

Originally, scaffold is a known word in building technology, which stands as a temporary framework of poles and planks that is used to support workers and materials during the erection, repair, or decoration of a building. In other words, it is called a support or a supporting framework. In the traditional society, we have relied on such indices as financial stability, a good marriage, home ownership, and healthy families to indicate our support as a means of growth, but still we recognize that there are many other divergent paths through which we can lend support for a progressive change and growth. It is a fact that people flourish when their lives have meaning and purpose, when they routinely experience optimism, hope, and gratitude, and when they make a positive impact on others through their work and legacy.

The question that stares us in the face today is where will people find meaning to their lives? Meaningful life can come through the awareness that the individual life is part of a larger story. At some point we begin to realize that we are connected to humanity and creation in fundamental ways that allows us to transcend the limited single self. Since meaning is the framework in which we understand existence and creation, purpose is what defines our specific role in that larger story of humanity. We progress and flourish whenever we find something to do with our life that is consistent with our beliefs about the meaning of life.

A people-oriented project is what the world needs today. Many years ago, so many people experienced what I can call a "simpler life". This is because if a man was a carpenter, his son was likely to be the same. That is because the shop was at home and the boy worked with his father. The son watched carefully as his father cut the wood, planned and smoothen it, then get it fastened together to build a table or a bench. It was apprenticeship by example. The story is quite different today. Most young people do not learn their trades like that anymore. They would rather leave home and pay huge sums elsewhere to learn what could have been taught to them freely. Had it been that they learned properly, there would not have been a problem. This has made vocations today far too complex and training way too demanding.

One aspect of life, however, is the same as it was years ago. Though so many parents do not have apprentices watching how they put their beliefs into practices, some other parents do. Their children not only learned how to do things from them, they also learn about life. They saw their parent's values ​​and ethics in action every day in their homes. This goes a little further to explain to us why there so many people today who still find their purpose in their vocations, and families. As our topic suggests, the most important thing to note here is that purpose in life is shaped by the ethics of our life – the character and the moral stance that we take in the world. Considering the impact of global economic recession, so many people inevitably have been forced to experience an alarming increase in unemployment. And the higher the percentage of people out of work, the more problems our social agencies have to deal with. Alcohol and drug abuse increases. Domestic violence rises. Crime rates go up. Some people just can not seem to stay out of trouble when they have idle time on their hands. Apprenticeship by example, especially in the home front, becomes of immense importance.

When evil men threw the apostle Paul into prison, hoping to put an end to his ministry, their plan backfired because Paul found hope and encouragement from the brethren – the home front. He did not know why God allowed his imprisonment, but he saw how God used it for good, telling us that giving support to other people will eventually help them to find gain in their losses. Let us remember that the greatness of the power and effectiveness of our service for Christ is in exact proportion to the measure of our surrender to Him, suggesting that as God's loving and giving are inseparable, so too is our giving, an expression of our love for others. This goes much deeper than just confessing our love to people; true love is expressed in supporting one another and giving ourselves to the Lord on daily basis.