Rick Warren, author of the multi-million-selling book, "The Purpose Filled Life," was the closing speaker at the American Bankers Association convention last week in San Francisco. This was a business meeting with 1,700 bankers, that is, people who spend a lot of time around money. Rick Warren is a pastor; he works to save souls. Why would a pastor be a speaker for a group of bankers?
Of course, Warren isn’t just any pastor. Highly successful, he is taking on some of the world’s biggest challenges. Read more here.
Whoever came up with the idea of bringing him in to speak to a group of bankers hit on something. The ballroom was packed as Warren delivered a relaxed, one-hour address. This meeting ended up being a very interesting intersection of faith and commerce.
And that point was not lost on Warren. One of the many interesting points he raised was the notion that business and government and the faith community need to work together to tackle the world’s biggest problems. He said usually people talk in terms of private/public partnerships, meaning business and government. He compared that partnership to a two-legged stool. He said the third leg is the church.
He noted the world-wide reach of the various churches. It is the churches that have buildings in every community and an army of volunteers at their service. These are the ingredients that almost any initiative needs to succeed, and they are not things that businesses or even governments can necessarily deliver on their own.
Warren talked about “integrity.” The root of the word, he explained, is "integer," which means “one,” or a “complete entity.” Integrity is “oneness” or “completeness” within a person. That means a person who does not separate or compartmentalize the various aspects of their life. To have integrity means to live as the same person whether you are in church, at the office, in the market or otherwise in a public space.
Integrity is a good word to use when talking about The GEO Principle or about Warren’s effort to bring business, political and church interests together. We are all spiritual beings. Let’s not be afraid to discuss that opening in any setting, and to utilize the practical realities of faith-filled living in all aspects of our life. I think the ABA took a step in that direction when they invited Pastor Warrant to speak to its members.
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