Today’s (February 26th) Globe and Mail has a section on “Busibness Travel” that catches my attention. There are three major articles listed, each with an attractive caption: “Canada needs more trusted traveller programs”, “The greening of business travel” and “Mitigating corporate travel risk”. It is the last article that I am most impressed with.

All trips and destinations have some inherent risks, whether due to safety or security. Companies have to make sure that their employees know whom to call, what to do and what not to do in case of emergency.

This article reminds me of an interesting email that I got last year — it easily ranks as my most memorable email for the whole of 2007. It discusses the risk of travel for Christian professionals. The email comes from Europe and the author has limited competence in English. But his point is very well taken. He lists sexual temptation as the top risk for professionals on travel. This may involve x-rated movies, pornography or sins of the body. In his discussion about the physical aspects of temptation, he ends by advising fellow Christians with these words, “Not even a bear!”

I think he means don’t even take a beer with someone of the opposite gender. The encounter or friendship may appear totally benign at first but the warning is the same: “Not even a beer!” After a long day of work, and especially if significant contracts have been signed, people will be in a celebrating mood with their guards down.

Yes, give the devil an inch and he will take a whole mile from us. Corporate travel does have its risk and at Contempo, we need to remind one another, “Not even a bear!”

Our small group studied the book of Daniel last year from the sermons given by Rev Thomas Chan for the student mission conference in Paris ‘07. Daniel was a model missionary, an example of a man who lived in a secular culture and maintained his identity. I will share what I’ve learned.

Daniel spirituality mattered. He was a man who was spiritually disciplined and daily prayed 3 times. These prayers were not the 3 prayers done before meals but scripturally-guided prayers. When Daniel prays, he prays based on his understanding of scripture and prays with a heart-felt confession for himself and his people. This is the proper way of praying and it proved fruitful.
Daniel persevered in his ministry as prime-minister to three kings and served each king faithfully. It took Daniel many years for his witness to bear fruit in King Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony. Our witness to our managers might take many years to also bear fruit, years of people observing us. Daniel’s mission as a servant surpassed 3 kings and he served each king faithfully. Daniel model of servant-hood can be an example to all of us in our workplace. Each good example we perform at work to our best of ability is a witness of Christianity in our lives and the God we serve.

Nathan (Ottawa)

As many Chinese celebrated Chinese new year last Thursday, last Wednesday, the new year’s eve, marked this year’s Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is 40 days before Palm Sunday and is a tradition in the church to remind us of Christ’s death on the Cross for us, and then His resurrection.  A new colleague who is a Chinese lady from the Catholic Church surprised me last Wednesday by having a mark of the cross on her forehead. You see, she is a new convert to the Catholic faith, and takes the bus to downtown every lunch hour to attend mass.  I understand that there is a theological reason and difference as to why she wants to and has to do this, but I do admire her sincerity and genuine desire to follow the way by wearing such sign last Wednesday.  Obviously, we do not need to wear a mark of the cross to remind ourselves of Christ’s suffering.  Our life somehow should reflect the life of Christ wherever God puts us.  In light of Good Friday, we also do have to prepare ourselves in attitude for suffering for Christ.

What has been ways that you have been expressing your faith in the workplace?  Or how have you been successful in sharing your faith in the workplace? 

Have another year of experiencing God at work. 

Ed from Ottawa