重新塑造我們的職場世界觀
By Jim Mathis
最近我開始重讀史考特˙派克醫生1978年的經典書：「心靈地圖」。他形容靈性的成長是一個人能從微觀的世界觀發展到宏觀的世界觀。微觀的世界觀指的是從自己的經驗，可能來自家庭、工作場合、我們這個「族群」(家人、朋友或是有相同經驗的人)所看出去的世界觀。
如果我們想要發展宏觀的世界觀，就需要積極地去接觸和我們大不相同的人，和他們交朋友。因為他們有很不一樣的經驗、來自不同的種族、有不同的宗教背景和教育。我們也要旅行、閱讀以及接觸各式各樣不同的資訊來擴張我們的所見所聞。
靈性的成長(發展宏觀的世界觀)是很重要的，因為它的最終目的是要幫助我們能夠從神的角度來看事情。包括用神的眼光看這個世界：沒有時間、地點、國度疆界的限制。神也看每一個不一樣的人同樣重要和有價值。
當我和我的太太二十幾歲的時候，我們的口頭禪是「擴張我們的境界」。當時，我們滿腔熱血，渴望看見新的事情、培養新的興趣以及交新的朋友。在教會裡，我們渴望和耶穌基督、和新朋友有新的關係，也有更寬廣的世界觀。我們瘋狂地旅行、交朋友以及了解這個世界。幾十年之後，我們仍然不斷在擴張自己的境界、交新朋友以及希望能有更寬廣的世界觀。
在我們的生意上面，我們和來自不同背景的人見面和工作。對人們感到有興趣是一種能力。我經常和外國人做生意，了解他們如何和為什麼要到美國來，這也成為一個能更多認識他們和他們一起合作的關鍵。
耶穌用比喻告訴我們，如何跟來自不同國家的人溝通。在路加福音10章25-37節當中，他講了一個好撒馬利亞人的故事；在馬太福音8章5-13節，耶穌和有信心的百夫長對話；而在約翰福音4章1-42節當中他告訴一個來到井邊汲水的婦人關於永不再口渴的水。
耶穌在世上的傳道即將結束時，他把門徒招聚在一起，並且告訴他們要把福音傳到各國各邦去(馬太福音28章19節)。門徒照做了，他們到當時世界所知最遠的地方去教導和做門徒訓練。使徒彼得和保羅到歐洲去傳福音，他們和當地人建立關係、教導、做門徒訓練並且在異教文化背景下，在各地建立教會。從以弗所、哥林多到羅馬。
不幸的是，很多基督徒似乎對屬靈成長抱持相反的看法，即使在職場也是。他們想要變得更加獨立、限制資訊的來源和有相同世界觀的人一起在小圈圈內取暖。他們認為修道士獨立遺世的生活方式(非短暫避靜)是一個理想的狀態。
為了要跟神更加靠近，不只在生活中、也在職場上，我們要開始用神的眼光看世界。祂的眼光是一種宏觀的眼光，能包容多元經驗和想法；祂的眼光也看每個不同的人都是獨特而美麗的個體。
吉姆．馬提斯在堪薩斯州陸路公園市經營一家照相館。他的專長是商業和影劇界人像。最近他開了一所攝影學校。他曾是一家咖啡店的經理，也曾是CBMC在堪薩斯州堪薩斯市和密蘇里州堪薩斯市的執行主任。
省思與問題討論
作者Mathis在本文中，提到史考特醫生所描述的微觀和宏觀的世界觀，你覺得兩者有甚麼不同？ 你是否曾經試著要和不同文化背景、種族或信仰的人建立關係嗎？結果如何？ 你覺得下定決心和刻意跟不同背景想法的人互動，如何幫助我們靈性成長？ 又如何幫助我們和神連結和建立關係？ 你認為過著遺世獨立的生活或工作，會妨礙個人的成長和身為一個專業人士邁向成功嗎？你覺得我們要怎麼做，才能更多去發現和探索我們舒適圈以外的人的想法呢？
備註：如果你手上有聖經，希望閱讀更多關於這個主題的經文，請參考：約翰福音3章16-21節；使徒行傳17章16-33節；歌羅西書4章5-6節；彼得前書3章14-16節
RESHAPING OUR WORLDVIEW IN BUSINESS
By Jim Mathis
Recently I began rereading M. Scott Peck”s classic 1978 book, The Road Less Traveled. He defined spiritual growth as moving from a microcosm view of the world toward a macrocosm view. A microcosm worldview would be one defined by our experiences with our family, workplace, news sources we watch, the accepted views of our “tribe,” and friends and family who have had similar experiences as we have.
Moving toward a more macrocosm view requires actively meeting and befriending people that are different than us – those with different experiences, from ethnic groups, religions or education. It requires traveling, reading, and seeking out a variety of sources of information and broadening our education.
This is important because the ultimate goal of spiritual growth is to begin seeing things from God”s perspective. This involves perceiving the world without the constraints of time, place, or national boundaries. He sees every person as important and of equal value, regardless of their differences.
When my wife and I were in our mid-20s, we developed a mantra of “Expanding our Horizons.” We were getting in a rut and needed to see new things, develop new interests and make new friends. This quest led to a church, a new relationship with Jesus Christ, new friends, and a larger worldview. We became almost frantic to travel, meet new people, and understand the world. Decades later we are still expanding our horizons, meeting new people in new places and trying to understand from a broader perspective.
In our business, we meet and work with people from many backgrounds. Genuine interest in people is a real asset. I regularly do business with people from other countries, so finding out how and why they came to the U.S.A. is a key part of understanding and working with them. I consider it a privilege to serve as a face of this country to recent immigrants or people still acclimating to a new culture.
Jesus made a point to talk with people from different cultures, and used people from other areas in His parables. Examples would include His story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37); His interactions with the centurion recounted in Matthew 8:5-13; and the woman at the well, found in John 4:1:42.
At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus called His disciples together and instructed them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:19). They did that, traveling to the farthest parts of the known world at the time, teaching and making disciples. The apostles Peter and Paul both went to Europe, building relationships, making disciples, and starting churches in many places and cultures, teaching people with varied beliefs, from Ephesus and Corinth all the way to Rome.
Unfortunately, many Christians seem to have an opposite idea of spiritual growth, even in the workplace. Their idea of growth is to become more isolated, to have a more restricted source of information, and relate only with people with a similar microcosm worldview. This is related to seeing a monastic lifestyle as an ideal permanent situation, not just a temporary time for retreat and reflection.
To draw near to God, not only in our personal lives but also in our professional lives, we must begin to see things from His perspective – a very macrocosm view, the big picture – considering many people”s experiences and understanding, and seeing all people as unique and wonderful.
Jim Mathis is the owner of a photography studio in Overland Park, Kansas, specializing in executive, commercial and theatrical portraits, and operates a school of photography. He formerly was a coffee shop manager and executive director of CBMC in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
How do you understand the difference between a microcosm view and a macrocosm view of the world, as described by both author M. Scott Peck and Mr. Mathis? Have you attempted to build relationships with people from different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs? If so, what has been the result? In what ways can determining to intentionally interact and get to know people with different backgrounds and viewpoints help us in growing spiritually, as this “Monday Manna” suggests? What can such connections and relationships teach us about God? Do you agree that having a more isolationist approach to life – and to our work – inhibits our growth as individuals, as well as our success as business and professional people? How can we resolve to effectively look and explore people and ideas outside our “comfort zones”?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: John 3:16-21; Acts 17:16-33; Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Peter 3:14-16
