Christ as the truth by which all truth is tested

"From the eighteenth century onward, Europe turned away from the Christian vision of man and his world, accepted a radically different vision for its public life, and relegated the Christian vision to the status of a permitted option for the private sector. But for the modern church to accept this status is to do exactly what the early church refused to do. It is, in effect, to deny the kingship of Christ over all of life - public and private. It is to deny that Christ is, simply and finally, the truth by which all other claims to truth are to be tested. It is to abandon its calling. (Lesslie Newbigin Foolishness to the Greeks p102)

Employment in the post-Enlightenment West is virtually synonymous with accepting that Christian faith is a permitted option for the private sector only - while denying the kingship of Christ over all of life. As a teacher in the public schools, signing a non-proselytism agreement was a condition of employment, and as an employee at a major financial services firm, I was reprimanded for sharing good news with my colleagues - precisely because they believe that belief is 'private' and not public. My experiences are anything but isolated.

In such a situation, I see little alternative but for Christians to have integrity by announcing the kingship of Christ over all of life. Some will be forced out the door of their current employment, while others will see their colleagues converted through their courage. I believe that the call of the gospel to entrepreneurship both proclaims the kingship of Christ over all of life and creates workplaces that are truly tolerant. As long as Christians accept the public/private division, I see little hope that the Spirit will be pleased to turn many to Christ through our witness.