The Collaboration Dilemma with Unbelievers

The profound words of Jesus Christ: "They are in the world but they are not of the world" constitute a thorny paradox for the Church. We are called to separate ourselves from the world and separate ourselves for the service of an infinitely holy God. But we are also urged to be salt of the earth, to be eminently cunning and flexible , wisely adapting to our social context in order to, as Pablo puts it, “anyway save some” ( see I Corinthians 9: 19-23).

Without a doubt, the children of God are called to cultivate opportunities to share our testimony and our faith with those who do not know the gospel. This will inevitably lead us to have contact, and sometimes even to collaborate, with institutions and people who do not share our Christian values.

On the other hand, the Bible warns us time and again against intimate association with unbelievers. Amos 3: 3 rhetorically asks, "Can two walk together, if they do not agree?" The obvious answer is no". In 2 Corinthians 6: 14-16 the Apostle Paul seriously warns us:

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what companionship does justice have with injustice? And what communion has light with darkness?

15 And what concord does Christ have with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

16 And what agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell and walk among them, And I will be their God, And they will be my people.

Between these two dimensions of the Word - collaboration and separation - there will always be a tension for the believer. Inevitably, if we move in the world, there will be times when the biblical boundaries for collaboration with unbelievers will not be totally clear and defined.

The church I lead, for example, has social service ministries that lead it to receive significant amounts of money from the US federal government, as well as private philanthropic agencies with deeply secular values. Our social involvement has allowed us to project a very positive testimony to the secular community, impacting the authorities of our city, as well as other sectors of the society within which we carry out our ministry.

I am well aware that our moral and spiritual values are often diametrically opposed to some of the values that these institutions uphold. At all times, both our staff and I are clear that we will never allow our Christian values to be compromised in order to receive or maintain any help from the secular world. However, there is always a tension, and we continually have to ask ourselves whether we are firmly upholding our values in the midst of that inevitable collaboration with the world.

I believe that part of the solution to this dilemma lies in differentiating between people who simply do not share our values, and who are based on a rather neutral or even skeptical stance regarding the values of Christianity, and those who hold a militantly anti-stance. -Christian, with values openly opposed to the postulates of our faith.

In the passage from 2 Corinthians 6: 14-16 quoted above, Paul uses very graphic and strong words to refer to people with whom believers should avoid being intimate. The main idea in the apostle's mind seems to be that segment of society clearly committed to the world of darkness, those who openly practice the worship of idols and demons (“What fellowship does justice have with injustice? what communion between light and darkness? And what harmony does Christ have with Belial ”)? Furthermore, Paul seems to be referring primarily to a type of intimate association with unbelievers. That is why he uses terms such as "unequally yoked," "fellowship," and "concord," words that suggest a close relationship rather than a superficial collaboration that does not commit the believer to sacrifice his spiritual values.

Having said all this, it must be recognized that even so, collaboration with non-believers, even if carried out with great caution and care, will always represent a very delicate and uncomfortable matter for the children of God. It will require great spiritual clarity, much prayer and reflection, and a continuous assessment of our relationships with that sector of society. At all times, the overriding value should be to remain faithful to God, and never compromise the values of our faith.

If the primary value that motivates our actions is to glorify God and save souls, and we entrust ourselves first to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we undertake our evangelistic efforts, we will be covered when we take those somersaults that the inevitable collaboration with unbelievers requires.