The Globalization of the Economy and the Church

Then came the time to conquer the real temptation to absolute the difference between the spiritual life and the secular. All human existence is sacred and remains in the sight of God. In this existence remains to be settled the supremacy of Christ, such as no domain or aspect of the human life may be delivered to the evil. Thus, Christians live in the body with the unavoidable tension between their existence in the world and their non-belonging to the world. Even because of the heavenly belonging of the Christians(Heb. 13:14), the believers can fully enter the integral life of the human society, and can bring the light of Christ in it.'(Go Forth in Peace - A Pastoral and Missionary Guidebook, Ion Bria, Ecumenical Council of Churches, Geneva, 1982, pp. 32, 33).

Tertullian wrote: "But we are called to account as harm-doers on another(1) ground, and are accused of being useless in the affairs of life. How in all the world can that be the case with people who are living among you, eating the same food wearing the same attire, having the same habits, under the same necessities of existence? We are not Indian Brahmins or Gymnosophists, who dwell in woods and exile themselves from ordinary human life. We do not forget the debt of gratitude we owe to God, our Lord and Creator; we reject no creature of His hands, though certainly we exercise restraint upon ourselves, lest of any gift of His we make an immoderate or sinful use. So we sojourn with you in the world, abjuring neither forum, nor shambles, nor bath, nor booth, nor workshop, nor inn, nor weekly market, nor any other places of commerce. We sail with you, and fight with you, and till the ground with you; and in like manner we unite with you in your traffickings--even in the various arts we make public property of our works for your benefit. How it is we seem useless in your ordinary business, living with you and by you as we do, I am not able to understand." (Tertullian, Apology, XLII, 1-3).

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