Hot Off The Press! - October 2000
Relating Todayıs Headlines To Ancient Principles
| (Periodically, we tie current news to a scriptural principle to demonstrate the importance of integrating belief and action. We also hope that this feature might serve as a conversation starter for Spiritual Investor gatherings at churches, colleges and businesses. ) |
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love for one another."
Jesus - The Book of John, Chapter 13, Verse 35
A column one, page one story in the September 12th edition of The Wall Street Journal was of the type that probably caused Mother Teresa to observe: "Often we Christians constitute the worst obstacle for those who try to become closer to Christ: we often preach a gospel we do not live. This is the principle reason why people of the world do not believe."
The story was headlined "Broken Trust: A Young Manıs Talk Of Stock Riches Lures Host Of Regular Folks." It was about a twenty-year-old whose "talk of soaring profits in investorsı accounts led them on a fantasy voyage of early retirement, luxury cars and generous giving to charity (emphasis mine.) It was a journey that, early this year, ended in despair, recriminations, damaged relationships and death threats." One investor detailed how he had bought in largely as the stock promoter was charismatic and Christian.
The story ran just after another Journal article told about a nationally promoted author and lecturerıs hype, which has been most well received in some Christian circles, about quick and ungodly returns, often accompanied with a seeming biblical guarantee. Yet the article said this promoterıs philosophy also was not shaped by any biblical worldview but by the authorıs experience as a taxi driver. Even the internet might not provide space to relate all the similar stories Iıve come across during a decade of integrating the spirit and investing. Yet there are a few eternal characteristics of such scams. Recognizing them--along with remembering corresponding biblical principles--might help you avoid being a victim:
First, the promoters always promise huge, fast returns. Yet they often avoid waving any red flags about greed as they encourage you to give some of the profits to charity. So itıs wise to remember that when Solomon said "if youıre in a hurry to get rich, youıre going to be punished," he did not add "unless you give some of the profits to charity." Similarly, these promoters rarely talk about the loving things that they are going to do with your money. They simply talk about the good that you can do with the profits. So you are more likely to put your money with a true disciple if you find one who is demonstrating love him or herself rather than simply encouraging you to. Finally, these scams are typically perpetrated by young people and/or those with little if any actual experience with investments. And itıs always easier to speak with absolute conviction when you are unencumbered by any knowledge of the subject matter.
Bottom line? The businesspeople who read such stories over and over would surely agree with these words from Professor John Stackhouse, which appeared in the June 12th Christianity Today: "Who are we kidding about money in our lives and work? All of us need to take sin as seriously as the Bible does in every area of our life, including our finances. Especially our finances."
