Editorial: God & Business—First Things
I was raised in a family of teachers and health professionals. When it came to business, I was almost always on the demand side of things; when it came to God and business, I’d a handful of probing questions and a fair dose of caution. So it was a curious and humbling experience later in life to discover just how exciting being around leaders in business can be. There’s such energy, such a sense of possibility, of real-time problem-solving and the demands of being fruiful. Human beings can be, frankly, astonishing, not least when they imagine, plan, and act together.
At the same time—partly because of this entrepeneurial energy—I’ve become convinced of the need for Christians in business to become deeply shaped by who God is and what God’s about. I believe we need to allow God’s purposes to inspire, constrain, and enable our enterprise and endeavour in business. That energy I noticed is powerful! But without a realistic and hopeful vision of business, and without leaders who work from daily fellowship with Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit, the imaginative energy and practical drive of business endeavour will always tend towards lesser goods, and ultimately, poor ends.
That’s the vision we’re opening up in this Spring edition, God and Business—First Things. What you’ll find is not an exhaustive word on God and business; instead, here are some first things—foundational things—to live and lead into. Nathan McLellan gives us a great sweeping view of God and business, and how to understand, in light of Jesus Christ, the goals, condition, and character of business in a modern market economy. This is essential reading for anyone in business, be they an employee, business leader, owner or investor. Alongside this foundational work, you’ll find Zach Monk wondering aloud “Could Business Be Good News?” Zach weaves astute reflections together with his own story to reframe our understanding of the gospel’s claim on business enterprise.
We’re not about theory only, because faithfulness in business looks like something. Our interview features Nat and Josh Milne, both business owners and leaders. What’s most impressive about them is their humility and their commitment to learn to respond to God’s call more and more completely—this is another wonderfully honest and hopeful Field Notes. As usual, we’ve got the arts covered also. We feature Matt and Liz Watson of Vine Design. They’re the missional design powerhouse behind The Loyal Workshop and orgs such as Musalaha and Compassion Aotearoa. This is business as mission, enabling Christian enterprise with beautiful design—as they put it, it’s creative power at the margins. To round things out, we’ve curated a list of resources and reading to help you go deeper. We’ve begun here by offering the first things to say on God and business—but the adventure is just getting going.
Finally, we know we’re innovating here: there’s long been a need for grounded, Scripturally alive, spiritually nourishing resources about business for Aotearoa, New Zealand. We’re doing more in this space, not least through the Venn Centre for Business and Leadership. But right now, read, enjoy—and share: who else do you know who might be encouraged and spurred on?
Ngā mihi nui,
Dr John Dennison,
Editor, Common Ground
