It is a common teaching in Christianity: to be 'in the world' but not 'of it'. As CS Lewis put it, we are 'soldiers behind enemy lines'. What does this mean? Obviously, we should not 'conform to the pattern of this world'. I do not wish to recapitulate all of the ramifications of such a commandment; rather, I intend to elucidate some of its implications for Christians who live within the institutions of the world, whether they be cities or companies.
My main point of reference is the book of Nehemiah. There are three aspects of this scripture which strike me, and to which I will refer in this analysis: 1) Nehemiah's favour with King Artaxerxes, 2) The rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem, and the moral reformulation that this entailed, and 3) The marriage of work and faith.
Firstly, Nehemiah was given permission by a pagan King to rebuild the City. Moreover, he was granted the resources to do so, and even safe passage from his current location. This unprecedented, unanticipated and undeserved generosity was clearly the providence of God; in the same way that He hardened the heart of Pharaoh, so he softened that of Artaxerxes, so that his Will be done. As Christians living in secular institutions, let us never permit ourselves to believe, even subconsciously, that somehow human rules precede those of God (see my post on 'Divine Authority'). Every government, law or rule that exists has been approved by God, because He is ultimately authoritative, without exception. Furthermore, if any of these do not adhere to the Divine Law, they will soon become irrelevant and discarded.
Importantly, however, it was the short prayer of Nehemiah that did the trick. Immediately before requesting permission, he asked God for help. Therefore, if we do not appeal to that Divine Authority, we will not be granted a hearing. Any door can be opened, but we must first knock.
Secondly, the physical rebuilding of Jerusalem was accompanied by a concomitant, and necessary, philosophical overhaul. The foundational principles of the city were consciously overthrown, solidified in written creeds. Specifically, the selfish pursuit of wealth was replaced by a pure devotion to God, complete with sacrifice to both neighbour and God, thus embedding an ethos of love. As Christians living in cities, or companies, we must ensure that our own efforts are based on this foundation of service to Christ, rather than on the (often selfish) motives of the world around us.
In particular, debts of all sorts were forgiven. I quote:
3 Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine."
4 Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others."
6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, "You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!" So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: "As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
9 So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil."
12 "We will give it back," they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say." Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!" At this the whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
The denouncement of the institution of debt occurred because it had ceased to be of value to the residents of Jerusalem. Rather than fostering and facilitating development, the (sometimes literal, other times financial) shackles of debt had began to impede progress. As Christians, we must continually reassess our actions as they pertain to the world, with respect to God: do they still serve a Godly purpose, or have they been subsumed in custom, tradition – 'worldly patterns'? This is what it means to be 'transformed by the renewal of your minds'. Only in that way can we ascertain His Will for our lives, and what that means for how we behave towards the world around us.
The third aspect of Nehemiah to which I refer is the combination of work and faith, which I have already hit on. The residents of Jerusalem found that 'specialisation' was largely inefficient. At first, some constructed whilst others defended. They found, however, that these two tasks need not be separated. All tribes, occupations and families of Jerusalem undertook the task of rebuilding their city, bar none; and likewise, all residents acted as guardians, bar none. The people were said to carry 'a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other'. We must act accordingly; we must not put down our faith when we enter the workplace, and likewise, we must not put down our work when we leave the office. God must occupy our entirety, as the foundation of whatever we pursue.
A specific formulation for the process of rebuilding and reconciliation can be as follows (according to the sequence found in Nehemiah): a) Repentance – firstly Nehemiah, and then the City as a whole, audibly and communally admitted their sins; b) Commitment – especially of the leaders: "In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it”, we must devote our futures to God; and c) Continual Renewal – according to Nehemiah, “Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly”. God must be engrained into the very fabric of our institutions.
We are not of the world in which we live. To answer my first question, 'what does this mean?', I reply that it is our task to change the world to conform the pattern of God. That requires, however, that we first align our own lives accordingly, for it is primarily by example that changes are made, even radical ones.
To exemplify, I may apply my analysis to the City of London. For ages, the city has thrived on finance. The current crisis has exposed its faults, especially the way that an ethos of selfish gain manifested in excessive risk accumulation. Hence the passage in Nehemiah seems applicable: "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."
Those still working in the city therefore face a Herculean task, but are also confronted with a unique opportunity. To reform an immoral system when it has been destroyed, as Nehemiah found, is much easier than to change it when it is strong. It is our imperative, therefore, to ensure that what replaces this Hedge-Fund-driven economy is one that adheres to God's directives.
Even Jerusalem, within Nehemiah's lifetime, receded back into its sinful past, greatly displeasing Nehemiah. Written contracts, when underwritten by men, will never be truly binding. Each new generation faces a decision, but it is our responsibility as Christians to do what we can to ensure not only that we make the right decision, but also that future generations inherit a structure of integrity.
It is this word, 'integrity', that synchronises all the aspects of this discussion. Physical integrity takes the form of a solid wall to defend the city, or perhaps an efficient economic system. Moral integrity takes the form of imbuing that new structure with the principles that please God. As the crisis has shown, the two are ultimately synonymous, not dichotomous as is often presumed. Nehemiah knew this, which is why it so concerned him once the residents of Jerusalem reverted to their sinful ways. We are all accountable to God: prioritising material integrity at the cost of moral integrity will achieve neither, whereas seeking first His Kingdom and His Righteousness will ultimately yield the greatest rewards.
