Visited a corporate company AGM today (in proxylah! the only shares I got are invisible and intangible, hahah!). The Directors, CEO and big guns were lined up with their dignified ties and coats. The Common folk (i.e. shareholders) squished into their theater seating just there to pass resolutions, propose, and second stuff. What a contrast of power (in practice), even though the common folk was supposed to approve the increase of Director fees for a not very profitable company (at least for last year). Of course, some came just for the goodies (maybe). We just got a fast-food chain voucher and a plastic note holder (not much considering the thousands approved to these big guns).
I wonder how do these directors, CFO & CEO, etc. truly serve the interest of the common shareholder. Do they really have their best interest in mind? Question marks popping all over my brain circuits!!! The picture so far, is obvious (at least in this case) or to be more moderate – questionable (did I say question marks earlier?!).
Sad to say, if this turns out to be the picture in Christianity as we know it (today), then we’re doomed. Church history tells me, we’ve been in this kind of scenario before and the common folk are always at best ignored, at worse abused. Right from a local assmbly of believers to the so called dying “Christendom” – the danger has been, is currently and will be there.
Maybe that’s why the 17-century Pietist I’m studying now like Arnt, Spener and Francke are my heros. The trio just fires me up … because they were for the people .. the focus was on building up the people of God not drying them up for themselves. And my other current World War Two Christian Martyr Bonhoeffer expands me further, because in my last reading of “Life together” on Ministry, authentic authority comes from genuine service of the other.
Their example is a total opposite from what I sensed today at the AGM of so and so company. Okay, I admit I’m biased against much corporate jargon and practices. Maybe I don’t understand enough. But, the fact remains. Maybe slavery has not been abolished, but merely “mutated” into a different form embedded in economics, politics and ideology.
The message I represent, and the master whom I serve and the methods I need to use – is about Freedom … Freedom to bless the other .. It’s about power as well – but power to love in action, and authority talk isn’t absent … but it’s a kind of authority that builds up human dignity not break or sacre the image of God in us. High ideals indeed. Counter-cultural? Absolutely. Impossible? Depends who’s side you wanna be on … I rest my case for now …