Justice @ Work – Apathy or Action?

You see something at work that just seems wrong. What do you do about it? Do you look the other way, to keep yourself out of trouble? Can you do anything about it anyway?

One of the great things about being a “big fish in a small pond” is the opportunity to get involved, to fix things that are broken, to right injustice, and to influence a whole corporate culture. When I was a much smaller fish in a much bigger pond (Bank of America) though, it seemed like there was nothing I could do to address things that weren’t right. So it was tempting to be in denial, even going so far as defending my employer when I had sincere doubts about what they were doing.

The Biblical call in Micah 5:8 “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” is well known. But it is much more comfortable for us to think of this as something remote – writing letters to our US Senator about atrocities in Darfur, for example. If we have to apply it to our daily lives things get much more dangerous. The reality is that any time we confront injustice we are taking risks.
So we need discernment along the lines of the great serenity prayer:

     God grant me the serenity
     to accept the things I cannot change;
     courage to change the things I can;
     and wisdom to know the difference.

We need to know when to simply accept that we cannot impact injustice, and when to take the risks inherent in acting against it. I think of our reactions to injustice, whether at work or elsewhere, at four levels.

Apathy. When we turn away, or deny, or tacitly or actively defend injustice, we are being apathetic – literally not feeling for the victims of injustice. Can this ever be right? I don’t think so. Acceptance that I cannot change things does not require that I have no feeling toward those who are impacted.

Awareness. I may not be able to change anything but I need to be aware of the impact of injustice on those around me. I may not be able to change the personnel policy of a large company to provide adequate time off, or to pay appropriate wages to thousands of people. But I will be contact with those who are impacted, and I can show compassion. Later on, as I rise up the company, or if I join a smaller company, I can remember these lessons and have a real impact. This is exactly what has happened for me in, for example, improving the vacation policy for my smaller company.

Activism. Even though I can’t directly change unjust practices, I can help with raising awareness, and I can petition those with the power to make changes. Most companies have opportunities, through mailboxes, public meetings, or corporate email, to raise concerns without fear of recriminations. In some cases, we may have to rely on “whistle-blower” laws to protect us – this is extremely uncomfortable but there are times we know it to be right.

Action. When we are in a position to directly change unjust practices and policies we simply need to do it, regardless of the impact on the company’s bottom line. Now that I am in a top executive position in a small company, this comes up constantly. Doing the “right thing” rather than the most profitable thing is a constant challenge and conversation among our senior leaders. But it can be very difficult (such as whether to lay off some staff in order to protect the jobs of the rest, and who to lay off).

The bottom line is that we serve, and are made in the image of, a God of justice. He demands it of us and equips us to administer it in all sorts of ways. Apathy is never going to be an acceptable answer (that is what Micah’s prophecy complains about), but we need to be constantly aware of injustice around us, getting involved through activism when it will make a difference, and taking action when we are in a position to do so. What if all Christians did this?

Love @ Work Always Perseveres

“Love always perseveres” according to 1 Corinthians 13:7. How do I square that with having just today laid off half our staff? Wouldn’t love have found a way? We’ve tried, but it’s not quite that simple.

We’ve been struggling (as I’ve recounted in other posts) for more than three years to survive through the economic downturn that hit our commercial mortgage lending business so hard. Despite our best efforts, and some heroic financial and legal sacrifice by the company’s owner, our cash issues have become greater and greater.

Despite having already reduced in staff substantially (releasing contractors, not replacing people who leave, and some prior lay-offs) we are still unable to make our payroll beyond this month. Therefore we have had to tell six of our eleven staff that they are being laid off or (in a couple of cases) must work radically reduced hours. Each is a person I have sought to show love to, and each is a person for whom I have genuine appreciation, value and honor. Each is seriously impacted by these changes and we feel as though we have let them down.

Have we given up on them by laying them off? How far does this “love always perseveres” go in the workplace? A dictionary definition of perseverance is “steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.” Thomas Aquinas qualified this though, defining perseverance as “the long persistence in any kind of difficult good.” From a Biblical perspective the “good” is an important element.

Would it be good, for example, if we were blind to our inability to make payroll in December without this action, and ended up with nothing for anybody at the end of the month and the need to close our doors completely in January? I don’t think so. “Good” in the Biblical context includes a consideration of the good of the community, and it also considers far more than material well-being.

I do know that it would not be loving perseverance for me to hand out severance notices and say goodbye, without another thought for our employees’ welfare. Some things are straightforward – each impacted employee needs to know they have my support in their job search, as a reference, reviewing resumes, talking over opportunities, and in any personal way in which I can help. There are practical limits obviously. But above all, though perhaps not so easy, perseverance doesn’t stop loving just because circumstances change. It is implied in the string of “always” statements in 1 Corinthians 13:7 – love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. In our prayers, our encouragement, our availability, our belief in our staff, even if things don’t go well for the business, we show a persevering love.

We cannot give up seeking the good of our work community (including clients, investors, etc). We cannot give up seeking the good of our employees who have to be laid off – offering hope and support and prayer for them in any way within our power. Pray for me that I may show a group of struggling but wonderful people a persevering love.

Power @ Work

As I picked up the spoon for the ninth time from the restaurant floor, carelessly tossed there by my tyrannical eleven-month-old granddaughter, I was struck by how innate the desire for power and control seems to be. How quickly children learn the enjoyment of being in control! And can there be any greater control than that exerted by a little girl over her grandpa? (Could you resist?)

Sadly, that innocent desire never seems to completely die away, and morphs into far more dangerous forms. Despite various efforts to overcome these urges, I confess to feeling a certain delight when team members rush off to do my bidding, or employees come to me for permission, or approval, or even disapproval. As I think about bosses I’ve worked for, just about all of them sought some form of power and control. (It also seems as though men tend to wield raw power, while women specialize in exercising control. Perhaps this is a figment of my chauvinistic imagination, but it seems that way. It could be cultural, or could be truly a matter of gender differences.)

We talk of pride being the most basic of sins – remembering that Satan said to Eve that “you will be like God” (Gen 3:5). But perhaps it is also about power – after all, isn’t Satan encouraging humankind to cast off the shackles of God’s control over us so that we can be truly in control? For many people, perhaps in the end for all of us, power in its various forms is as attractive as fame or fortune.

The problem is that we were made not to exert power or control over one another, even in the workplace, but to love. Even the spiritually esoteric psychotherapist (and contemporary of Sigmund Freud) Carl Jung saw that the two are mutually exclusive. “Where love reigns, there is no will to power; and where the will to power is paramount, love is lacking. The one is but the shadow of the other.”

But surely God manages it? Well yes, but His version of power is quite different from ours. It isn’t manipulative, self-seeking, or destructive. Because of His grace, His power made and sustains His good Creation, it is redemptive, it is sacrificial, and it is unselfish to an extreme. It is, after all, by His astonishing power that Jesus became human, and was ultimately raised from the dead, conquering sin and its inevitable consequence, death.

Of ourselves, we will not exercise power in God’s way. And yet, God has indeed given us power, and has even called us to exert control over Creation. When he said to Adam and Eve “fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Gen 1:29), He gave us power as His partners in Creation – our call to daily work – but He expects us to use it in His image (Gen 1:27). Made in His image, our use of power was to be driven also by love, grace and mercy. Love was to be paramount. How far short we have fallen!

The good news is that there is a way back to God’s intention. If we have the Spirit of Christ Himself in us, as is true of all who have been called by His Name and surrendered to Him, then we can again walk in the image of God. The power we are given can be truly exercised in love. Our motivations, actions, thoughts, and words as managers, leaders, team members or indeed customers or suppliers can be driven by God’s original mandate to care for Creation, and for one another, by using the power He has given us, in the way that He would have us use it – in love for Him and for one another.

Success @ Work

I just got back from the SF Giants World Series victory parade. What a great experience! Vast crowds lining Market Street got to watch this unlikely group of players who conquered the world (well America anyway) in the baseball classic. Success excites everyone. But what is it?

Well, you might say, it is winning of course! The Giants proved that. Closing the deal, beating the analyst forecasts, getting the top sales rating, achieving the promotion. Our culture craves success, and our culture defines what its idea of success is. In a competitive culture, success is defined by beating the opposition. I win only if you lose. Obviously it isn’t quite that crass in the business world – you and I can both be successful provided we meet or exceed our goals. But if our goals are mutually exclusive, then one of us will succeed and one will not.

What is Biblical success though, and how does it translate into the workplace? The first reference I find is in Genesis 24 when Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. Success is prayed for or talked about five times in that chapter. It represents completion of a God-ordained task. When Rebekah is found as a bride for Isaac, Abraham’s servant has been successful. There is no particular wealth in view here, no public acclaim, no victory parades. And yet … through this successful trip, God has carried out the next stage of His covenant promises to Abraham, in establishing a nation for Himself through Abraham’s progeny.

For us in business, the definition of success does include the meeting of business goals. But if the business goals are not consistent with God’s plans for us and for our business, or if they are not in line with the intentions God has for us in the workplace, we will not be successful, no matter what our colleagues tell us.

Which defines success for you? Is it the temporary adulation of your colleagues (because you know they’ll forget by tomorrow)? Is it the fatter paycheck at the end of the month or year? Or is it even having everyone tell you that you’ve made a difference in your community? Or is it not really about what other people think at all? Which would you prefer – a victory parade for an afternoon, or hearing our God say “well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23)?

As I write, the victory celebrations are still going on at San Francisco’s Civic Center. But this time next year, unless they can do it again, most of us won’t be Giants fans any more and the faithful will be complaining as they always do. Meantime, God’s faithfulness and acceptance will continue forever.

Bible @ Work

What does a motley collection of history, poetry, prophecy and advice columns from thousands of years ago have to do with the modern business world, with all its technology and sophistication. When it’s the Bible, the answer is everything!

By the way the advice columnist in question was probably mostly Solomon – the Proverbs read that way, and probably have as much to say about business as any book in the Bible. But then by some counts the Bible talks about money even more than it does love. While I’ve been writing this blog, it has become more and more apparent just how vibrantly, relevantly and critically the Bible speaks to my workplace. It talks about business relationships, negotiations, contracts, ethics, employee justice, budgeting and planning, and much more on a practical level.

But even more, it provides a foundation for work itself. Our purpose is tied up with God’s initial calling to humanity to be workers in imitation of Him, the greatest Worker. Our individual calling is into all of life, including our daily occupation, to be His priesthood – those who become the place where heaven and earth come today, those filled with the Holy Spirit. Our perspective is to be God’s, informed and led by the Spirit of Christ who lives within us. This radically impacts our view of work.

Regular readers of this blog will have seen previous postings that addressed these topics (especially the Theology @ Work series). I’ve also found it very helpful (though very challenging) to work through some Biblical lists – the fruit of the Spirit, the attributes of love – applying them to real situations in the workplace. In case you’re interested in looking back at any of this, the cumulative blog document is organized by topic and posted in Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B0z67UIBKzjZOWQ0NTY0NmUtMGJiYS00NmU3LWE0MWEtNzRiZTdmNmZjODgy&hl=en. The blog web site also has a link to the archive. Here’s the list of major topics:

• Discovering God @ Work – my voyage of discovery of God’s presence in the workplace
• Fruit of the Spirit @ Work – an attempt to explore how each part of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 plays out in the workplace
• Theology @ Work – an ongoing series laying out the beginnings of a Biblical foundation for faith in the workplace
• Justice @ Work – an ongoing series exploring various topics of justice and ethics
• Prayer @ Work - occasional topics related to prayer in and for our work
• God’s Perspective @ Work – trying to see the workplace through God’s eyes
• Love @ Work – attribute-by-attribute exploration of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13
• Church @ Work – reflections on the church’s role in the Christian’s work life
• Miscellaneous topics - individual posts prompted by a passage of Scripture or an event at work

Some of these topics are still being added to, and others will come (for example the “whole armor of God” from Ephesians 6). Bottom line – I’ve read lots of management and leadership books, but none that remotely came close in value and depth to the Bible.

Love @ Work Always Hopes

"They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it's night once more." (a line from the nihilist 1960s play “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett). Our world desperately needs hope, and love in the workplace must offer it.

I struggle with this in the midst of an extended real estate downturn, as we see blow after blow to the our prospect of recovering our investors’ money (not to mention fees that would pay our payroll). The obvious answer is that I say to our employees and investors that money isn’t everything, and that it will all work out OK in the end – just trust in the Lord. But I’m sorry, that just doesn’t work for me. I don’t mean it isn’t true, just that this isn’t an environment for glib statements. Still, if we are to offer love to the people we work with, we have to be able to offer hope – that surely is one of the greatest gifts love has to offer?

The Bible acknowledges the sense of futility that can come from a dependence on human effort, particularly in Ecclesiastes (a book most students of the Bible have grappled with at one time or another). “When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Eccl 2:11) says the Preacher (possibly the ultimate over-achiever Solomon!). But in the end, even the Preacher concludes “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Eccl 12:13-14).

How is this a message of hope for our colleagues and business partners? Quite simply that it is a matter of perspective. What we see, in our financial desperation, is the end of the world. But clearly that’s not what God sees. When others around us see their self-worth challenged by failure, love reaches out to them and declares the value God places on them. When others see the loss of material possessions as the end of all that matters, love shows that God (in part through us) has a present and future hope that transcends things and offers relationships – even relationship with God Himself through Jesus. When others fear death (their own or their loved ones), love boldly proclaims the hope of the resurrection – the confidence that God is not limited by mortality and death, but brings renewal – new life, new bodies, a new heaven and earth (1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 21).

However, coming back to the glib response – it is not sufficient for me to tell someone not to worry about loss of job, when I have a retirement fund in reserve, meaning I’ll still have food on the table if I’m out of work, while I know or suspect that they do not! We need to be sensitive to the reality of the present for others, without losing sight of and being driven by God’s greater reality. This isn’t easy, but keeping God’s hope to ourselves is distinctly unloving!