Is business ahead of the church?

There is a film I often show to students called A Time for Burning. It’s a documentary about churches in Omaha, Nebraska in the late 60’s, and their challenges around race and integration. In the film one of the church council members, seeking to convince a skeptical parishioner of the value of building relationships across racial lines, points out that “even business is ahead of the church” in this arena. He is deploring the reality that businesses in Omaha were more open to integration than was his church.

I thought of that line today, when I was watching a talk Apple CEO Tim Cook gave to a group at the UN, where he talked about how Apple Computer is seeking to ensure nondiscrimination in employment for LGBT people. Once again, business (at least his) is ahead of much of the Christian community.

Sigh.

Is it any wonder that so many young people want nothing to do with Christianity?