GBU worker Élie Cobo reflects on the relationship between faith and work
If I asked you: Is there a Christian way to fill out a spreadsheet? You’d probably raise an eyebrow, intrigued by such an unexpected question. And yet, this simple question plunges us into the heart of a profound phenomenon: secularisation.
Before the 18th-century Enlightenment, God seemed very real to most Europeans. Belief in Him permeated every aspect of daily life and public affairs. For most people, life was unthinkable without the presence of God providing an organising rhythm for both private and public life. However, at the turn of the 18th century, the revolution was underway, and for the first time life was becoming possible without reference to God. This is our heritage.
The modern era has reversed the situation: the divine no longer exists, the importance of its presence has faded in people’s lives. What once seemed universal and unchanging has now become just another option. Religion is gradually transforming into a personal choice, a tool to build a lifestyle, as you might choose a personal development book or a new philosophy of life.
With secularisation, therefore, came the restriction of faith to the private sphere. Culturally and naturally, contemporary people tend to separate their faith from the public sphere and their work. In the wake of the social revolution that’s taken place, we’re all inclined to relegate our faith to its private expression. But, if Jesus is indeed the Lord of our life, this must be true for all of life, without restriction – including our public life. This is precisely the main issue that the GBU’s Réseaux Pro are trying to respond to. Since work is one of our main points of social and public connection, it’s been strongly affected by this process of secularisation. Because thinking about our work independently of the Good News of Jesus Christ has become “natural”, because it’s “obvious” that our faith has nothing to say about our work, we must make an effort to live counter-culturally in this area. It’s not about claiming that Christian culture should once again dominate society; it’s about managing to live our faith fully and authentically in a secularised world.
How can we bring together faith and professional practice? How does our faith in God transform the way we work? Is it simply a matter of a few virtues highlighted in our relationships, or does our vision of the world reorient our work in a more fundamental way? Reflecting Christ in our relationships with our colleagues seems obvious to us, but how should our relationship with Jesus change the way we work? Where is the image of God as we “copy and paste” or complete other mundane tasks?
The Réseaux Pro aim to allow each believer to commit to understanding and integrating their faith into their professional practice, with both elements proving mutually supportive. To help realise this objective, eight networks exist: Researchers, Health, Education, Scientists, Arts, Human Sciences, Business, and Environment-Climate. In addition, the Researchers network last year saw the birth of a group of doctoral students and researchers meeting regularly in the Paris area. The idea is to create an environment in which Christian reflection can emerge in relation to issues specific to each of these eight areas. So, once a year, a day is organised where different participants from these eight areas come together around the Bible, presentations, and practical workshops to encourage each other to live as Christians in their professional life. Please pray for all those involved! Thank you.
