Marketplace Influence

These words were originally written to friends who were in the middle of a week-long international missions conference while I was traveling on business in Asia.

As you soak in the multi-layered experience of Harvest and International Center, I soak in the world of strange foods, complete language illiteracy, and geographic disorientation.  Add to that, my job has changed significantly, and there is a new team hungry to know their new boss.  I've alternated between gratitude, excitement, being humbled, and measured patience.  It is mixed with a little jet lag and a deep desire to be at home with you and family.  And so my mind turns toward what I can learn as I am stimulated in every sensory way.

My mind turns to David.  Psalm 78:72. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

What has struck me is that my new subordinates are as interested in who I am as they are in what I will do to them!  100s of questions in broken English about favorite foods, and interests, and what I think of China.  Joy in sharing their own interests.  Desire to find common ground.  I joined Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Facebook+Twitter), and immediately had a new set of "friends."  They were anxious to make a connection even if there was shyness.  They raise glasses in toasts and walk from table to table in Chinese style to offer their good wishes.  They want to know their leader’s heart.

At the same time, they're interested in budgets, and timelines, and whether we'll continue in the way my predecessor led.  They want to know about priorities and decision-making approach.  They ache for change, but are wary of transition.  They want a skilled leader.

They are not Christians, nor Jews, nor anything really.  But they want a David.
I am fortunate that I have a boss who is not a Saul and is not threatened by any of this, but revels in it.

So as I plan this transition, I am both student and teacher; boss and colleague and subordinate; competent and illiterate; anxious and joyful. Their hopes are in conflict, some wanting one business decision and others wanting the contrary decision.  They want collegial decision-making, and clarity of direction.  They want a realist and a visionary.  They want authority and compassion.  And I want to be all of that.  ;-)

As my mind's eye paints this picture, I see a kind of canvas splashed with brush strokes tossed in vivid hues, sometimes mixing, sometimes clashing, but beautiful in its own way.  The call of the marketplace Christian, I am coming to believe is the call of men and women to step into this cacophony with a certain posture.  We can have a posture of critique that is borne out of our skill, or a posture of creative influence.  A football lineman has a stance ready for contact.  I fear that many Christians today have a stance or posture that is more ready to critique culture than to creatively influence it.  This critique-biased posture comes from skill without integrity.  Other Christians have a stance that is engaging but not changing; integrity without skill.  The call to influence is both skill and integrity, and it may be that this is why David is remembered with such honor through generations.

The challenge, of course, is how to cultivate both integrity and skill.  Awareness of that need may be the first step.  Cultivating both is the essence of Marketplace influence.