How the Church Fails Businesspeople (and What Can Be Done About It), by John C. Knapp

In business we are often confronted with situations that are not simple black-and-white issues of justice, in which we must discern not what is the single right thing to do but what is the most right thing to do.

In How the Church Fails Businesspeople, John Knapp tells the story of Alan, a businessperson who is facing a slowdown in his business and is therefore running short of cash. At the same time, a client is having difficulty in paying his bill, the payment of which would significantly improve Alan’s cash flow. Several months earlier, Alan talked with this client, who asked for more time to pay his bill. Alan relented at that time, but now with his own cash-flow issues, he is ready to call his attorney to begin legal action.

At the last minute, Alan is struck with the tensions between the financial, legal and spiritual implications of this decision. He calls his pastor to arrange a meeting, hoping his pastor’s advice will help him sort these tensions. When they meet, however, the pastor gives him a less than helpful response. He simply asserts that “business is business” and advises Alan to put his own interests first.