Northwest Arkansas has the good fortune to be the home of three major corporations. Because of the presence of Walmart Stores, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt Transport, many of us have well-paying jobs. Most all of us receive the ancillary benefit that flows from the local taxes paid by these companies and the often-generous financial support each firm provides the community in which it does business. We have better schools and roads, culture and entertainment, and more opportunity and diversity, because we share the neighborhood with Walmart, Tyson, and J.B. Hunt.
I have heard more than one preacher observe how "blessed" we all are to have such good neighbors. Traveling through less-fortunate parts of Arkansas, it is easy to conclude they might be right. However, most of us tend to ignore that, along with this blessing, comes serious responsibility and untapped opportunity.
We talk a lot these days about the ineffectiveness of government -- and it's true. Congress is largely hamstrung by inter-party strife. And our elected officials often seem so unresponsive to our genuine needs that many people don't even vote. Yet the power wielded by corporations is often ignored. Corporate policy can have a far-reaching effect on the natural environment, wages, health care, workers rights, working conditions, education -- all the things that are important to us.
"But so what," you might ask. Why would the leadership of major corporations be more responsive to the voices of common citizens than our government seems to be? Perhaps simply because we are neighbors. As neighbors, friends, associates and fellow parishioners of people who occupy positions of power and influence, we are uniquely placed to use our relationships as a force for good in the world.
Let me offer you an example. A number of years ago, one of our church members was responsible for procuring virtually every shoe Walmart purchased worldwide. Long before Walmart -- or most any other corporation -- paid particular attention to the employment practices of its manufacturers abroad, Joe was asking factory owners about wages and hours worked and living conditions of their employees. And he was making purchasing decisions -- not just based on the lowest price, but also on the well-being of the manufacturer's workforce. As a man of deep faith, he was able to put his faith into action in the workplace.
In recent years, Walmart has made significant strides in crafting progressive environmental policies, placing women and minorities in leadership positions, advocating on behalf of LGBT associates, raising wages for hourly employees and -- most recently -- halting the sale of AK-15 assault rifles. People who care about these issues have -- over the years -- quietly made their concerns known to their friends and neighbors within the corporate power structure, and their voices have been heard.
None of these corporate decisions are made in a vacuum, and not every policy decision is made solely on the basis of how it affects the bottom line. In Northwest Arkansas, we are privileged to have the ear of powerful people in a way that critics of corporate practice in distant parts of our country do not. They are our friends -- and friendship is not to be abused. But we also neglect our responsibilities as citizens of the world if we fail to use the opportunities that come our way. We can choose to simply enjoy the benefits of corporate wealth that spill over into our local communities, or we can -- by our example, and by living into the teachings of our sacred texts -- shift the corporate conversation toward concern for our fragile planet, toward the needs of the poor and the marginalized, and in the direction of love for all God's creation.
The interests of corporations and the interests of people of faith are not necessarily in alignment, nor necessarily in conflict. There are issues and moments in time in which corporate policy and the well-being of humanity and our environment move in a parallel fashion. It is worth remembering that, without the presence of the Roman Empire, Christianity surely would not have spread throughout the world.
Yet there are also times when the demand for profit compels corporations to make decisions that run counter to the universal teachings of love, compassion and mercy common to all the great religions. At such times, if you take your faith seriously, then it's necessary to nudge, cajole and bring to bear whatever influence you might have to sway those in positions of power.
And, now, allow me to make a shameless plug for my latest book. If you are interested in learning more about ways in which members of synagogues, churches and mosques can be a force for good that stretches far beyond the communities in which they reside, I invite you to read School of Love: Planting a Church in the Shadow of Empire (Morehouse Publishing). The book can be ordered now and is scheduled for release in just a few days.
NAN Religion on 09/05/2015