Last year, I took my first job in the corporate world. I’m loving it, but there’s a lot I have to learn…and some things I never want to learn.

Last week, while most of us were in a meeting, three of our employees got laid off. (We were told in the meeting right after it happened.) These were hard-working and much admired men in the office, but the work they did, through no fault of their own, wasn’t paying for itself. It was out-of-the blue, and a pure budget decision.

We’re a close-knit group, so everyone was upset, and not because they were worried about their own jobs. The rest of the day was spent in group walks, a long lunch, and much discussion and commiseration. I suggested we get a card and take up a collection. The suggestion surprised folks. Apparently, when someone leaves a company, they’re just gone, and life moves on. I was told that that’s usual for any company, not just ours. To acknowledge their contribution and their loss, esp as a group, is  “counter-culture.”

Nonetheless, people loved the idea. Those who had been laid off before said how much they’d have appreciated knowing folks still cared. So I got cards and some envelopes and spent part of the day walking around the office. The cards filled to overflowing. Everyone pitched in some money. Our Human Resources guy sent the cards and gift cards for us (since he can’t divulge the addresses.) It may have been counter the corporate culture, but when asked, everyone was willing to help, even people who didn’t know the guys in question. It just took a nudge.

At our hearts, most of us are considerate and generous. But we’re also timid, sometimes lazy, and unwilling to take a risk that goes against the standard culture. As an outsider coming into the culture, I acted out of ignorance. If I’d spent 20 years in the corporate world, I don’t know if I’d been so quick to act.

We wait for someone else to spur us to action. I wonder if that’s why so many people believe so strongly in government welfare – with the government taking charge, we can rest easy, feeling we’re helping the poor without our having to take steps ourselves. When Mormons tithe, the money comes straight out of their paychecks. I must admit, I think that’s brilliant. I wish the Catholic Church had a direct-deposit tithing program. We’re already the biggest charitable organization in the world. Can you imagine how much more we could do if people could just assign a portion of their paycheck automatically instead of waiting until Sunday to think about it? Like the Jews demanding a king, we demand that someone else take charge and lead us in things we know we should do.

Regardless of whether you agree with welfare or mandatory tithing, the fact remains that there is so much more we can do – so much more that people are willing to do – if only we had a nudge. Be the one who does the nudging. Forget what “the culture” says and do what your heart says, and invite others to join you. You might be surprised at how people will rally behind you to help.

Karina Fabian writes everything from devotionals to serious sci-fi to comedic horror. Her latest novel, Live and Let Fly, stars a Catholic dragon and his magic-slinging partner, Sister Grace, as they save the worlds from maniacal middle managers and Norse goddesses. (Coming April from MuseItUp) Karina also teaches writing and marketing online. Learn more at http://fabianspace.com

5 Replies to “When Charity is Counter Culture, We Need to Lead the Way”

  1. I was in a similar meeting a few years ago where the same thing happened. It’s a shame, now that I think about it, that nobody came up with the same idea you did. Nobody liked that those people were let go, but we kind of shrugged it off as an “It is what it is” situation.

    The company isn’t even around anymore, but I’ve still never forgotten how weak the reasons were for letting them go.

  2. I had a similar experience teaching at a secular university. I had several colleagues whom I had helped pack and move (none of them Christian). When I had to move myself (after losing my job), I was too sick to pack, and I had nowhere to go. I kept hoping someone would offer to help, but no one did. Finally, desperate, I called a friend and said, “The movers are here, and my stuff is not packed. Help!” She rushed over and spent the whole day packing, then powered to let me stay at her house until I was ready to leave town. I was floored when she said she’s had been waiting for me to ask for help — it had never occurred to me that anyone would wait to be asked for help when they saw a friend struggling. I realized then how utterly different our basic orientations were.

  3. We’ve certainly ‘come a long way’ when survivors taking up a collection for colleagues set adrift in the secular state might for one moment be considered brave or counter-cultural, until it is coupled with a call for the restoration of the social reign of Christ the King and a Catholic economy.

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