One of the things I love most about living in the DMV area is its incredible diversity. Because of its rich opportunity for employment, we attract people from every country and culture to come and be a part of the life that we make together. This creates an exciting environment of vocational diversity. In the churches where I have served, I have witnessed a beautiful fellowship of different people who, on account of their careers and cultural backgrounds, would ordinarily never gather together. But having been united by their faith in Christ, churches in the DMV become this fascinating intersection of people in different vocations coming together for a common purpose and mission.
But there is a darker, challenging side to this diversity. I often meet Christians who are really struggling to maintain their faith in their work. Many believers find themselves put in situations where they feel that they must compromise their faith in order to faithfully carry out their jobs. I’ve met teachers who are uncomfortable with new curriculum that is being introduced to the students, government officials who recognize the unethical shortcuts being taken in their offices, marketers who know their employer’s products are immoral, and businesswomen who work in very toxic and draining environments. This leads many of them to wonder: is this what God has called me to? Is it possible to be a faithful Christian in this space? Or do I need to leave and find new work altogether?