In or Out?

If you passed by the Bentonville square this past week, you probably heard a variety of languages spoken and observed the busloads of colorfully clad visitors from Malawi to Mexico to Mozambique -- or from any of the other 27 countries around the world where Walmart Stores does business. These visitors were making a pilgrimage to the sacred shrine of Sam Walton's original Five and Ten, part of the Walmart Museum.

You could have imagined you had arrived in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. On that day, there were "devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem." The Holy Spirit moved among them, and the disciples were miraculously able to understand every language spoken by the visitors, as if it was their own.

I don't know that all the Walmart shareholders who visited the square were filled with the Holy Spirit, but they were certainly bright-eyed and filled with enthusiasm. And I don't think that it is too much of a stretch to think of the annual shareholders meeting as a kind of corporate Pentecost.

A couple of weeks ago on the radio program, "This American Life," Ira Glass interviewed a young man: Brett, who recounted his experience on a crowded subway platform during rush hour. As he waited for his train, he noticed a guy -- fairly well dressed, not homeless -- walking up to each person standing at the platform, saying something to him and then continuing on to the next person. As Brett grew closer, he could hear the guy telling the people they could stay or they had to go. They were in, or they were out. The guy would look each person over and say, "You can stay," or "You're out," or "You're gone," or "You're okay, you can stay."

People didn't leave, and nobody argued with him. They just watched as he moved on to the next person. And as Brett tells the story, "These are the last few people before he reaches me. The 50-ish woman in the business suit and thick glasses is summarily dismissed. The homey in the baggy shorts and Chicago Bulls jersey makes the cut. The young immigrant mother who seems unable to grasp the import of this moment is given the OK .... The bookish man in the maroon cardigan sweater with balding head and red face is cut loose with particular relish."

And as he watches the guy move closer to him, Brett becomes a little nervous and aware of the fact that he is about to be included or excluded. And he finds himself hoping that he will be given the thumbs up -- even though the guy has no particular authority, and Brett has no idea what he might be included in or excluded from.

"So the guy walks up to Brett, stands actually a little too close to him, looks in his eyes and says, "You can stay." And Brett felt euphoria -- a small euphoria, sure. In his mind, he knew there was no reason to feel so good about this, but in his heart, it made him feel really, really happy."

And then, Brett writes in his blog, "I find myself -- against my own better judgment -- now looking with some disdain and perhaps a tinge of pity on those who didn't make the cut."

Brett's experience is not unique. All of us desire to be included. And, truth be known, we don't want to be excluded -- even from groups we never wanted to join in the first place. We just want to be accepted.

Participation in the shareholders meeting -- and employment at Walmart, in general -- can bring with it a sense of acceptance, a sense of belonging to a worldwide mission that is larger than each individual contribution. Each participant in the Walmart enterprise brings with him talents, skills and expertise that are vital to the success of the organization. But here's the rub: Not every Walmart associate is justly compensated for the gifts they bring to the venture.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christian community in Corinth, speaks of the "varieties of gifts," the "varieties of service" and the "varieties of activities" contributed by individuals for "the common good." Each person is a vital, essential member of the same body. And the contribution each individual member is able to make is itself a gift of the Spirit.

Walmart is to be commended for the strides made in the area of sustainability, in creating a more diverse workforce, in the quality of health insurance available to its employees and in maintaining its core objective of providing low-cost goods to consumers.

Yet, the growing gap between the rich and the poor in America is a matter of grave concern for us all. And Walmart -- perhaps more than any other corporation in the United States -- is in a position to help reverse this slide toward inequality by paying all its employees a life sustaining wage.

In his letter to shareholders, Walmart chief executive officer, Doug McMillan, tells of his personal journey toward an understanding of Walmart's global responsibility story. He writes, "We care deeply about the people who are touched by our business, and we want to do right by them."

I have no doubt about his sincerity, but I wonder how a company with a true sense of global responsibility can allow its own employees to live in poverty. The success of Walmart is dependent on the hard work and talents of every associate -- and all merit a just reward for their contribution. All are members of one body, and no one can be excluded.