Mike Smith:
My guest this week is Dr. Gene Edward Veith, noted author, professor, and Provost of Patrick Henry College. Dr. Veith, thank you for joining us today.

Dr. Veith:
Good to be with you, Mike!

Mike:
Dr. Veith, one of the topics you’ve been writing and teaching about for years is vocation. What is vocation?

Dr. Veith:
Well, the word vocation is simply the Latin word for calling. It’s the classic Protestant doctrine that God calls us into different relationships and different tasks as we live out in the world. We have vocations in the family—marriage is a vocation, parenthood, even being a child is a vocation. We have vocation in our culture, we have vocation in the church, and we have a vocation in the work that God gives us to do.

But the secular world just uses that as a term for getting a job. But really, it has to do with how we live our Christian life in whatever God puts in our way, and also how God works through vocation. God gives us our daily bread through the vocation of farmers and bakers and cooks. He protects us through the vocation of lawful government. He brings new life into the world through the vocation of parents. So vocation really has to do with how God works through human beings.

Mike:
Well, what an encouraging message! Thanks for sharing with our listeners today, Dr. Veith. And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.