The primary source of information about Jesus and his life comes from the New Testament of the Bible. In the Gospel of Mark 6:3, it is stated that Jesus was a carpenter: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?"
However, it is worth noting that the word "carpenter" in the original Greek text is "tektōn," which can also be translated as "builder" or "artisan." This has led some scholars to suggest that Jesus may have worked in other skilled trades, such as stonemasonry or metalworking, in addition to carpentry.
Outside of the Bible, there is little historical evidence regarding Jesus' profession. However, it was a common occupation at the time, and it is likely that Jesus would have learned carpentry skills from his father, Joseph, who is also described as a carpenter in the Bible with frequency. While there is no direct archaeological or historical evidence to prove that Jesus was a carpenter, the Gospel of Mark's description of him as a "tektōn" and the fact that his father, Joseph, was also described as a carpenter, suggest that it is a plausible occupation for Jesus.
My own father was a millwright in UBC Local 1043. A millwright is a skilled grease monkey who installs, maintains, and repairs machinery in factories, power plants, and other industrial settings like U.S. Steel in Northwest Indiana. Their work involves a variety of tasks related to the installation and maintenance of complex machinery and mechanical systems. While my dad was one of the original members of the UBC and Local, he erected most of the buildings as a carpenter in his 20’s and 30’s. Then, became a millwright within those same buildings as he traded professions in his 30’s.
Millwrights work with a range of industrial equipment, including conveyor systems, turbines, generators, pumps, and other heavy machinery. They may be responsible for installing and aligning equipment, troubleshooting mechanical problems, and performing routine maintenance to keep machines running smoothly. When I moved back to the Region in 2021 and worked as a millwright, my first job was a conveyor belt that my dad and brothers installed 40 years prior.
Millwrights use a variety of tools and techniques to perform their work, including welding, cutting, drilling, and machining. They may also use computer software to diagnose problems with machinery and develop solutions to improve its performance. My youngest brother, also a millwright and a former nuclear firemen in the Navy, has to learn how to dial in motor bases and install machines with precise accuracy, or it could potentially cost a steel mill millions of dollars.
In addition to technical skills, millwrights also need strong problem-solving abilities and the ability to work well under pressure. They may work independently or as part of a team, and they must be able to communicate effectively with other technicians and engineers to complete complex projects.
I had always dreamed of being a millwright, even when I was a kid. Mostly, admiring my family’s profession and the “Region’s” historic claim. We are all affected by our ethos developed when we are children. Growing up in Hobart, IN, the ethos of “work, work, work” were drilled into me during three-a-day practices on the dustbowl. The hot August sun beating down on my gold helmet, as my line wearily jaunted towards another corner of the football field for another set of “up-downs”.
My most impactful experience was also during high school with my woodshop teacher, Mr. Zoladz. My affinity for trees and his daily mantra of “wood is good” meant he was the teacher to cut into my soul and challenge me as an artisan. I wasn’t able to take wood shop until my sophomore year, but I was able to take 3 semesters while in high school with the intention of becoming a carpenter. “Z” taught me safety, class management, wood shop bookkeeping, and most importantly patience.
While mantras can be useful in developing your personal ethos, they can also lead to disruptive or destructive behaviors, even given positive intentions. What positive effect does “work, work, work” have when it is your only guiding ethos? For me, it led to a plethora of growth in opportunities. It came at the cost of other ethos I had as my consciousness made me critically think about the people and organizations I was enabling.
However, like Jesus, Joseph or my dad, I tend to focus on the positivity drawn by building something constructively for the betterment of mankind. The work experiences in my life as an accountant became too draining for me to manage the decision fatigue I fought daily. My childhood of pulling milk weeds out of the banks of my dad’s marina in Porter, IN or cleaning out the grease trap of the Sunset Bar and Grill made me number at an early age to the dirty work eventually thrown at me as my skillsets grew. My father’s relenting persistence and mantra of “a millwright gets the job done” stuck with me far too long.
As I snagged my dream job at my favorite Brewery in Indiana, I thought my hard work and my own persistence had finally paid off. I would finally be content in my employment. Unfortunately, my usefulness as a hard worker outpaced the needs of an accountant with the organization. As management ignored the many administrative fires given to the company daily, I handled everything as an operating officer of the business rather than a financial officer.
This disorientating experience caused me to disavow my developed profession as an accountant for a romantic hope of becoming a millwright. While at Hobart High School, many of my teachers, including Mr. Z, told me regularly that I was “too smart” and had good enough grades to escape the blighted community I came to love. I had to challenge this juxtaposition in life to feel some semblance of self-respect, so I joined the apprenticeship of Local 1076 to become a millwright.
During the spring and summer, I worked for the Local as an apprentice. I saw the buildings and equipment my family constructed when he was my age. I felt I had finally found my true calling. My life ethos matched my career. Soon enough, the politics of job placement and internal fighting for work became the imperative norm. It seemed everywhere I went capitalism had stripped meaning from the work I performed. What I learned is capitalism is indifferent to human capital’s accomplishments. Wages are not correlated with achievement but ownership.
Challenging myself and my internal dialogue further, I discovered that it irrelevant whether I am building a complicated spreadsheet to stress interest rates 400 bps or replacing the roller on the trough. My best memories exist in the weeds. Building something of value for the people I serve with the workers I collaborate with to complete the job.
Whether you are a grease monkey, a fancy coin-lady, or the largest financial institution in America, working together to build a better tomorrow is what client service progresses to achieve. If the religious, childhood version of myself were to give adult me advice, little JB would say “build something cool like Jesus did.” If you think that John Boyd CPA can help you with your business challenges by creating something of value together, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Client openings are filling quickly.
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