“Always do right. It will please some people, and astonish others,” Mark Twain.
It is an unfortunate fact that often in the business world–and other times as well–when someone seems to go out of their way to profess being a Christian business person, I instinctively reach to see if my wallet is still with me. I’ve only worked for a couple of guys who made outward emphasis to being Christian. Both broke promises and did not pay me for work done or promised. Had a customer who did not pay for materials purchased. Saw a company president sell a company and pack up his office on a Sunday so that he didn’t have to face his employees on Monday to tell them he had sold and that most likely they would all be losing their jobs within six months.
On the other hand, I’ve worked with hundreds of deeply spiritual people who just did their thing. No bragging. No over-the-top proclamations about themselves. It was all about other people, not themselves.
Always do right. With some people I’ve met–especially in church–Twain was right, I’d be astonished.
I really like the writing of Donald Miller. I read his blog. “Blue Like Jazz” and “Searching for God Knows What” are two of my favorites. Miller deals honestly with his experiences and feelings about “church people” and other people he meets. I say honestly because the tone is not preachy, but rather something like working out the puzzle of life–his and others.
“Blue Like Jazz” is coming 0ut as a movie. Released today (Friday the 13th!) I think. I see few movies. Hopefully I’ll see this one. But he’s already attacked by the self-righteous because of his questioning about people he’s met in churches–and some institutional churches themselves. But it’s really about a story of someone searching for Jesus.
“Always do right.” Seems to be a paraphrase of how Paul told us to live in Romans. Not a bad practice at all.
Faith Venture 
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