The Grass is Green at Walker Mowers: Faith & Human Flourishing

This post is part of a Patheos-wide symposium on the question “What good is religion?” Read other perspectives here.

The Yale Center for Faith and Culture describes human flourishing as “the flourishing of individuals, communities, and our whole globe.” Human flourishing is at the heart of the good news of Christ. Because sin and death have been defeated, we have a connection with God that empowers us to live unselfishly. When we walk in adherence to Christ’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves, we contribute to human flourishing in concrete ways.

We see examples of Christians living this out—not just through typically “churchy” or charitable activities, though those are commendable and valuable—but also in their spheres of influence in everyday life and work. We find one case study in Bob Walker, president of the Walker Manufacturing Company, who applies the biblical exhortation to be like Christ by “not looking to your own interests, but…to the interests of others” in the way he manages his company. At Walker, faith informs every aspect of business.

Faith informs vision.

Walker Manufacturing produces lawn mowers. For the average person, lawn mowers don’t inspire reverie. However, Walker’s view of the work considers how the end result contributes to the common good. He explains, “We like to say instead of making lawn mowers, we make beautiful places.”

Faith informs personal calling and purpose.

Central to Walker’s approach to business is a sense of personal calling and responsibility.

“I felt a very distinct call to be a Christian business man….I love the story where Jesus fed 5,000 people with one little boy’s lunch. That shows how God’s kingdom is supposed to operate. When we give our little lunch, to use the analogy, I believe the Lord takes what we give him and multiplies it. In this business we’ve been able to see that.

You can say, ‘you’ve only got 155 people here and  that’s not a very big deal.’ But in my mind when you trace it out, all the suppliers, all the customers, all the people that are touched by what we do here, thousands of people are fed or have some part of their livelihood connected to this company, which is I believe the way God’s kingdom is supposed to operate.”

Faith informs product quality.

Employee Ken Becker describes a faith-centered commitment to quality at Walker Manufacturing.

“I treat every lawn mower that I’m making like Christ is going to be getting that lawn mower. I want to make sure that everything is just perfect on it to the best that I can do.”

Faith informs business decisions.

Working in a seasonal business presents challenges. However, Bob and his brother Dean, who oversees product development and manufacturing, focus on treating employees well, even when it’s difficult or risky.

Dean Walker explains, “We try to live our faith. We don’t do a lot of preaching…we love people and use money, instead of use people and love money.”

Bob recalls, “Early in 2009 we began to move into what we call our springtime sales and they just weren’t there. We did not have enough work to keep everybody busy and I know the Lord helped us come up with a solution to save some jobs.

We found some work that needed to be done out in the community. We sent work teams out and paid them–they were on our payroll–and we did community service.   And sure enough, it was the bridge we needed to get into January and February and by the time we got to that point things began to pick up a little bit.

The easy thing would have been to lay people off.

…It’s a very seasonal business…If we just made mowers when we needed them, we would wait and bring a whole bunch of people and make lawn mowers, then shut down when we were done for the season. For us, we felt, as a principle, that we should treat people the way we want to be treated. Which means people have a full time life, nobody has a seasonal life. So we tried to organize ourselves to have year round employment.

I have a favorite scripture that has helped me across the years. It is Philippians 2:4. It says, “Look not only to your own interest but to the interest of others.”

So when you face a decision and you say, ‘What’s best for us?’ The scripture teaches we should be looking also to the interests of these other people. It helps answer the question, ‘What should I do?’”

Employee Sonny Molina, describing his relationship with the Walkers, says, “What brought me here is their integrity, and I just love that because they love the Lord. I don’t work for the Walkers, I work with them and that’s a big difference.” 

Faith at work contributes to human flourishing.

Walker Mowers exemplifies the good that Christian faith, applied in the workplace, can contribute to human flourishing.

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:1-4

Full interview transcript is available at the Theology of Work Project.

Video was made possible by the Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University and produced by Small Business School. Used by permission.

To further explore what the book of Philippians says about work, check out the Theology of Work Bible Commentary, free online.