The town center had long offered its residents and visitors alike a 800 yard ‘walking street’, antique shops, florists, butchers and candle stick makers. Dusk heralded the gaslight’s flickering and strolling window shoppers of all ages and nationalities. Motorized delivery traffic was allowed only between 22:00 and 07:00.                                                                                                  One of the regulars on the walking street would be seen every weekday morning between 08:35 and 08:40 like clock work! In fact his one regular habit was to stop in front of the jewelry shop and there, check the time on his watch with the time on the big clock in the store window. He did so day in day out, week after week!                                     One morning the jewelry store owner was outside his shop sweeping the sidewalk, as they do in some of these quaint serendipitous villages as the man approached, checked the time on the clock in the window, and setting his watch accordingly.                                                                                                                                 The jeweler approached the man and said, “I’ve seen you stopping in front of my store more times than I can remember, checking the time on my clock and setting the time on your watch – time must be very important to you”. “Oh indeed it is”, replied the man, “especially the accuracy! You see I’m the foreman at the big plant at the edge of town, and hundreds of people depend on me to keep accurate time every day. Because, at exactly 4:00 PM each day I blow the quitting whistle and work ceases for the day…”

                              “Now, isn’t that a coincidence.” Said the jeweler. “You see I wait until around 3:55 every afternoon and listen for the factory whistle, and when I hear it I immediately set the big clock in the window to 4:00 PM”! 

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                             By what ethical compass or moral measure ought Salvationists establish our individual and corporate values/standards?                                                                                The Salvation Army is active in more than 100 countries. Consequently, one can say without fear of contradiction, that what is ethically acceptable in one country according to local SA values may not be in dozens of others. 

EXAMPLES

In some countries the SA raises funds through the sale of lotto tickets in corps and institutions. In some, alcohol is made available at SA sponsored social events and at wedding receptions celebrating the marriage of Salvationists. Some SA corps and institutions celebrate the sacraments of communion and baptism. And an increasing number of Salvationists question the Army’s long held conviction of abstinence. A cursory glance of the world’s most popular social networking sites, some already 30 years old, will reveal thousands of Salvos are signed on to Facebook’s online networking. And many wonder if it’s socially acceptable in this day and age to be pictured lifting a glass of wine, cordial or beer at a palm fringed resort – or is it a sign of rebellion or of ‘coming of age, or of coming out’?                                                                                           Ethics center on what are good and acceptable principles for individuals, organizations, and society and is culturally driven, affect how people make value decisions and lead their lives. Sociology, the fundamental character or spiritof a culture is the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; the dominant spirit or disposition of the group. The term is derived from the Greek word ethos which can mean custom, habit, character or the spirit of a people; the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its attitudes, values and life styles.

Dr. Sven Ljungholm

MBA Course I taught 2007 AMU