Theological Foundations
How lawyers are part of Shalom
by: The Rev. Scott Sauls
In John 14:15 Jesus tells us of the “Counselor” who will be with us forever. In the original Greek, the Counselor is the paraklete or Advocate—the One who, like a good Attorney, comes alongside us to support us, encourage us, defend us, and counsel us. It is significant that this Advocate is described also as “the Spirit of truth” (v. 15). Implied here is that any counsel we seek, whether legal or otherwise, should be the type of counsel that will help us be people of integrity in our ventures.
To be a person of integrity (from the root “integer” or “whole”) is to be the same in private as we are in public. It is to commit to do the right thing when doing the right thing will promote our cause, and when doing the right thing will weaken our cause.
A good friend of mine was a compliance attorney for a bank during the 2008 economic crisis. In the interest of hiding toxic assets from shareholders (so as to keep the stock prices from plummeting even further), my friends’ supervisor asked him to overlook this breach of integrity “for the well-being of the bank,” which would have made him party to a very public lie. Instead, he sought to encourage his company to do the right and truthful thing—believing that integrity, though costly in the short term, was not only the right thing but would also fare well for the bank in the long term. My friend was then swiftly fired from his position—and the bank developed a false narrative about my friend’s “incompetence,” adding lies upon lies, more cover-up to cover-up. He was and is, in fact, one of the most able attorneys in the city.
The irony of the situation was that my friend, pushing for integrity during a time of crisis, was one of the bank’s greatest assets—yet he was treated, and subsequently discarded, as a liability. The bank soon found itself in even deeper hot water—as its many cover-ups were eventually exposed.
What is my point? A failed venture in the worlds eyes can actually be a great success in the eyes of heaven—and even in this life, “failed ventures” that “fail” because its leaders refuse to breach integrity, often get the last laugh. Look at Jesus, the “entrepreneur” extraordinaire. At his death he had just 120 followers. Or the disciples. Eleven of the twelve had their lives end in martyrdom. In the eyes of the world they were failures. Had they just fudged a bit, told a few lies, accommodated their critics…would things have worked out better for them? In the short term, perhaps. But in the long term, it would have derailed the integrity and fruitfulness of the mission.
In summary, success, in entrepreneurial and all other ventures, should be measured first and foremost in terms of character, not outcomes. Financial success, for instance, is a wonderful by-product to celebrate and enjoy. Job, the godliest man in the land, was also immensely wealthy. As was Abraham, the father of the faithful. As was the woman of noble character in Proverbs 31. As was Jesus, who, “though he was rich, he became poor, that through his poverty we might become rich!” Success as the world defines it is a delightful by-product—but it should be regarded as “secondary success” which flows from the “primary success” of integrity—of an “MO” that follows the wind of the Spirit of truth. CS Lewis said it best: “Aim at heaven and you’ll get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you’ll get neither.”
How the Gospel Affects Your Pitch
by: Kenny Jahng
36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
-Matthew 5:36-37 NIV
Have you ever thought about how different the business pitches you give to potential clients or investors should be from your competitors that aren’t grounded in faith? Christ-followers have the benefit from some direction given to us in Matthew 5:36-37. Letting Jesus’ words inform the process where you define and refine your pitch will help avoid risking a blurry delivery. One downside to ignoring the wisdom Jesus imparts might bring similar consequences as Jephthah’s over enthusiastic pitch in Judges 11:30-31. There are three overarching areas where employing a specific lens to view the pitch process can make a difference in promoting shalom and gospel-centered renewal:
How You See Your Pitch: Jesus’ sermon touches upon the swearing of oaths, or verbal contracts, in Matthew 5. Spending time with this passage can help influence how we see our own business objectives in the pitches we give to secure a customer contract or investor commitment. Is our focus over-weighted upon the end only? Or is the journey of building a relationship based on trust and authenticity as important as the destination? The reason why the pitch should not be a casual affair is because as Christ-followers, we see the basic building block of Christian living in relationships. The pitch becomes the actual beginning, not a test or pre-cursor to a possible relationship in front of us.
How You Build Your Pitch: Efforts to establish trust is not reflected in a successfully sealed contract or oath… or a perfectly spinned pitch that emotionally secures the signature. “Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' ‘No’” reminds us to keep it straight-forward enough for full accountability even before the start of any working relationship. While investors and clients may seemingly be drooling for that magic bullet, long-term success is initiated with pitches that are built upon clarity, simplicity and truth. The only way to achieve this is through proactive self-inventory and focused speech. It takes time to be intentional and articulate regarding the real value and differentiation you bring to the relationship. A huge side benefit to getting this right is being able to attract and establish the right relationships for your venture. What exactly is the claim of distinction you are offering? Likewise, what exactly are the boundaries for where you are not a good fit? Is your aim to enrich yourself or the entire relationship you are pitching?
How Others Receive Your Pitch: The imperative command Jesus gives in our anchor text, Matt 5:36-37, can be met by presenting the claims and promises in the pitch while establishing trust via integrity. If you pause to reflect upon what Jesus presents, upright and unentangled pitches zero in on how we can impact both parties’ current trajectory in a positive way vs. being concerned only with how the contract will only help our own position. Once you have built a pitch with elements that honors the relationship you are creating, what else is left? Practice until what you deliver is true for both, tantalizing for the hearer, yet tranquil to you.
Four E's of Faith & Work
by: Kenny Jahng
A broad movement to integrate social, economic, and religious factors has gained momentum in our culture according to David Miller, founding Director of the Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative, Associate Research Scholar in CSR and Lecturer in the Department of Religion. In his book, God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement, Miller shares a formal framework to understand the Faith and Work movement which is still currently evolving. The Four E’s is an attempt to capture observation of four archetypes that individuals gravitate towards when considering faith and work issues: (1) Ethics, (2) Expression/Evangelism, (3) Experience, and (4) Enrichment.
Here is a glimpse of the four different aspects of the framework:
- Individuals who fall into the Ethics profile seek to use faith to inform practical response to conduct in the marketplace. Business ethics can extend into larger social/economic justice issues, but necessarily being informed by Biblical principles. Leadership models can fall in this category of the integration framework.
- The Expression/Evangelism box represents those that approach the workplace as a mission field of non-Christians – with either verbal or non-verbal, and direct and indirect activities. Some opportunities are structured through formal groups, while others are either loosely coordinated or even individualized.
- The Experience approach attempts to grasp the theological value of work. Issues of personal calling and purpose for the individual’s place in vocation are utilized here. The fulfillment of this quadrant could be thought of with both intrinsic and extrinsic meaning.
- The Enrichment type sees personal faith as a response to being a Christian in a largely non-Christian marketplace. This person will lean on faith as a tool for healing, self-actualization, spiritual growth, and consciousness at work.
The formal framework and language that Miller’s Four E’s model provides can be constructive for purposes of both (A) self-inventory and opening up new modes for expressing one’s faith at work, as well as (B) giving Christians confidence and at the same time, concrete ways to engage with non-Christians in the workplace.
After exposure to this particular lens categorizing faith and work issues, some personal reflection might further self-understanding and identity formation.
Consider these questions:
- Do you see yourself naturally identifying with one of the four specific archetypes in the Four E’s framework (Ethics, Experience, Expression/Evangelism, Enrichment)?
- Would further study and examples of any of these four areas allow you to feel more empowered to integrate them into your own approach to faith and work?
- Do you sense any tension between your own preference for one of the four E’s vs. what you feel should be the priority in integrating into your faith at work?
- How does this overall model help challenge you or give you support to address this realization