Productivity and People

Productivity.

If you are reading this in America, I’m sure you are familiar with this word. The capitalist American culture thrives on productivity.

If you are reading this as a friend of Kristin Barber, I know you are familiar with this word. Obsessive-compulsive, type-A Kristin thrives on productivity.

I will never forget the day  I had this converstaion with a coworker at my school in Glendale, AZ. One day after school he was in my classroom chatting about instruction, and he said “You know, when I first got to this school, I thought you were really mean. I was afraid to talk to you.” What?! Me?! Mean?! I defensively asked him to explain what he meant. He told me that when I was at work, making copies in the workroom, walking through the halls, working in my classroom, I was in “go-mode,” and it seemed like I didn’t want anyone to bother me. My immediate reaction was to stand up for myself and justify my actions, but when I took a moment to think about it, I realized that he was right. I thrive on productivity, on finishing a job, on making every minute of work count. I had always masked this obsession as being passionate about my job, caring about my students, or wanting to continually grow professionally. But at the end of the day, he was right. I naturally prioritize efficiency over relationships. I prioritize productivity over people.

Take a minute to think about Jesus. What did Jesus prioritize? Did Jesus operate with productivity in mind or with people in mind? We read about Him taking the time to heal the sick, lame, and blind one-by-one. It would have been far more efficient for Him to show up in Galilee and say “Ok everyone, I’m going to heal people today, so bring everyone who is sick to this hill and at 4:00 I’ll heal them all at once.” We read about Him using 12 ordinary, sometimes imperceptive and unwise men to reach the world with the gospel. It would have been far more efficient to choose a larger, more qualified group who had the right connections with the right people and the most eloquent, educated words to preach the good news throughout the world. We read about Him teaching through parables when it would have been far more efficient to just lay it out plain and simple for us simple-minded humans. But Jesus understood that parables are more powerful than lectures. He understood that time with fewer people is more important than a minute with millions. He understood that people are more important than prioritized lists and productivity.

After teaching my last class of the day today, I went up to my office to get some things done before taking our 7^th grade girls out for ice cream after school. My office is in a room that our teachers often use as a workroom. They have a table where they sit to grade papers and lesson plan during the day when they’re not teaching. I sat down at my desk and got to work but was interrupted when one of the teachers said “You never talk to us in here. You’re always too busy.” Ouch. My mind immediately went back to that day in my classroom in Arizona when my coworker said the same thing. Could it really be that I was still struggling with the same misplaced priorities? I’m a missionary – there’s no way that anyone could say that I value work more than I value those with whom I work – is there? The look on her face and on the face of the other teacher in the room who was nodding in agreement said it all. So I put down my lesson plans and I shut my computer and I sat down with them. And we talked. We talked about our families, about our students, about our cultures, and about our hopes for the future. We all learned more about each other, and I think we all left feeling a little more valued and appreciated. I didn’t feel more valued and appreciated because I had given them teaching tips or because I had helped them plan a lesson or because we left the conversation with something accomplished. I felt valued because someone had listened to me, shared with me, and chosen to spend time with me. 

As I was leaving, one of the teachers invited me to her house for a visit. I said “Ok, let me make a note about what day and at what time I should come,” but she stopped me. “We don’t do that here, just come by my house when you want to come by my house. You are always welcome. We’ll drink coffee, sit on the patio, and can go for a walk in the park with my kids.” I realized that I had tried to Americanize (or maybe just Kristin-ize) things again. This is just one part of the Dominican culture that I love and am so thankful for. It’s not natural for me to put down my to-do list and my schedule and just relax with a friend. But as I am conformed more and more to the image of Christ, I pray that people continue to take precedence over productivity in my life.