Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, September 18, 2026
The reason this photo isn’t sharply focused is that it’s a telephoto one taken from my smartphone in our neighborhood earlier this month. What drew my attention to this scene was that I heard in the distance a sharp smacking sound, which I recognized as a roof-tile stapler.
But what was so intriguing was its rhythm. Usually roofers work up some sort of routine with the stapler, the most familiar (to me) being smack-smack-smack (pause), then smack-smack.
However, the rhythm I heard this day was smack-smack-smack-SMACK-smack (pause) smack-SMACK. The old phrase “Shave and a haircut—two bits” might make it more familiar to you. Back in the 30s and 40s it was a common ending to a song, especially the light-hearted ones.
I grinned reminiscently. I too was a young laborer in my late teens, not as a roofer (terrified of heights) but as a milk-carton-filler and parts-washer in our town’s dairy. The work was steady and paid well, but it was boring. Which means that I and my fellow-workers once in awhile tried to liven things up a bit, while keeping a sharp eye out for the boss, who would likely give us a mild reprimand that he wasn’t paying us to be performers!
Work is important. You might remember that in Genesis 3, God told Adam that because sin had entered the perfect planet, work would get a lot more difficult. But work is good, because it keeps us humble, and reminds us that the benefits we have don’t come cheap. Jesus, as you probably know, was a carpenter. And can you imagine a more boring job than planing a plank, with no power tools except His biceps?
The Bible makes a number of thoughtful comments about work. Click the link below to check them out and measure yourself against them.