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A Time for Everything Charles Whitehead, chairman of the English National Service Committee and for many years a successful businessman, shares his experiences and thoughts about the lay vocation in the Church and in the world
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It’s hard to disagree with this statement which begins chapter three of the book of Ecclesiastes, and the verses that follow remind us of some of the seasons we all experience as we journey through life. The theme of the book of Ecclesistes, the Preacher, concentrates on the emptiness and futility of life, and shows just how much Israel needed to hear from God again – to receive new revelation. It reminds us that life without the presence of the living God is empty, and it made me realise again how blessed are we who know the ultimate revelation of God- Jesus his Son. So as I read through the Ecclesiastes list of activities (3:2-8) I began to think of my own particular “seasons”, the circumstances and responsibilities which have shaped the different phases in my life – childhood, education, marriage, a career, children, coming to know the Lord, the Church, grandchildren……. It’s certainly true that there’s a season for every activity under heaven, and it made me realise that at each phase of my life I have been content and at peace – each season has been right at the time. It has also been right to move on to the next one; there’s no standing still in the Christian life, we’re on a journey, and the language of a journey is one of change. “In” the world, but not “of” the world For many years one of the biggest challenges I had to face was keeping the right balance between retreating from the world and staying in it. I spent 35 years working in industry, for 20 of which I was responsible for the various UK activities of big multi-national companies. I started work at a time when I had lost my faith, but 10 years later was evangelised and baptised in the Holy Spirit and began to see everything – including my work – with new eyes. Of course I soon learned that Christians are not to be “of” the world, compromising the truth of the Gospel and accepting the standards and values of the secular society around us, but are certainly called to be “in” the world. How else can we bring the person and teaching of Christ to those around us? But if we are to stay strong in our faith, we will need regular times when we retreat from the world in order to re-charge our spiritual batteries. We may well be tempted to retreat completely, to spend all our time in spiritual activities, and whilst a few will certainly be called to this, most of us will not. I thought I could do so much more for the Lord if I was free… After my Baptism in the Holy Spirit I soon found myself taking on leadership responsibilities, first in the Charismatic Renewal, and later in the Church. I began to meet lay men and women who had gone “full-time for the Lord”, and this seemed an exciting prospect. But after flirting with all kinds of ideas of joining one of the new covenant communities, or running a retreat centre and a house of prayer, Sue and I began to realise that I was to continue my normal work. At first I found this difficult to accept – after all, I thought, I could do so much more for the Lord if I was free of these other responsibilities – and I hoped I would only continue my work for a short time. In fact it turned out to be for 25 years, and I am absolutely sure that this was right, and the Lord responded by giving me many interesting andsuccessful years. At one point I was convinced that I should resign and seek part-time work because I needed more time for my commitments in the Charismatic Renewal. So encouraged by a prophetic word, I handed in my notice. To my amazement my boss offered me as much time of as I needed for my Christian activities, whilst keeping the same position and the same salary! As the years passed I would sometimes work full-time, and at others part-time. Such arrangements were unheard of in my industry, but when God is at the centre of our lives all things are possible. So what did all this teach me about the lay vocation in the Church and the world? We cannot live two parallel lives In Christifideles Laici, the Exhortation on the vocation and mission of the lay faithful in the Church and in the world, we are reminded that the laity have an essential and irreplaceable role in announcing and giving witness to the Good News. We are a sign and source of hope and love for others (section7). We are also reminded that there is an essential unity in being members of the Church and citizens of human society. “There cannot be two parallel lives in their (our) existence; on the one hand the so-called “spiritual” life with its values and demands, and on the other the so-called “secular” life; that is life in a family, at work, in social relationships, in the responsibilities of public life and in culture. The branch, engrafted to the vine which is Christ, bears its fruit in every sphere of existence and activity.”(section 59) What this means in practice is that we must never be tempted to compartmentalise our lives into the spiritual and the secular – we cannot separate faith from life, and the Gospel from culture. In the words of John Paul II: “I have maintained that a faith that does not affect a person’s culture is a faith not fully embraced, not entirely thought out, not faithfully lived” (16th January 1982). In my experience, the Church’s social teaching, faithfully lived out in our places of work, brings enormous benefits to those who work with us and for us. This, allied to a caring and pastoral (but not intrusive) approach to all our relationships, will transform the atmosphere at our places of work. By living and practising Gospel values in all that we do, there is little need for preaching. Committed and faithful Christian men and women, actively engaged with the culture and society around us, holding in high esteem professional skill, family and civic spirit, can bring to everything we do the virtues of honesty, justice, sincerity, courtesy, and moral courage, give a powerful witness to the true Christian life. In doing this, guided and sustained by the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit, we will ensure that there is no moral and ethical vacuum to be filled by the rational, but empty, values and standards of the world. We are all full-time for the Lord no matter where we are or what we may be doing Today I am no longer working in industry, and with our children grown up, Sue and I give almost all our time to working in the Charismatic Renewal and the wider Church. But I have never regretted the years I spent in industry, and because I have occasional contact with some of those who worked with me or for me, I can see that the fruit is still growing and spreading. When we know that what we are doing is in God’s time and in his plan, there will be peace in hearts for “there is time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven”. Let’s never forget that we’re all full-time for the Lord, no matter where we are or what we may be doing. © Charles Whitehead |
“There
is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven”.
