Sinking Sand?

The financial headlines suggest more than a meltdown in the housing market, the mortgage banking industry, and in many investment houses. The troubles may be diagnosed as a result of more than inflationary pressure brought on by over speculation in the commodities markets due to an excess of investment capital taken out of the market due to poor returns and questionable values of properties and loan packages built upon sub-prime lending to those without resources to sustain payments as variable interest rates climbed. No, our problems in these times stem from more basic troubles, like dishonesty. Greed might be also added to the list. A failure to invest in the future on the basis of something other than quick profit-taking while riding the ups and downs of the emotionally charged marketplace.

Basic to our problems are things like a lack of informed disclosure. But that is a two-sided problem. Many people don’t really want to know the whole truth about the circumstances they are getting themselves into, especially when it comes to financial decisions. Others relish the moment when they make the big score by suckering someone into a deal that pulls the wool over their eyes and takes them for all they are worth. Our problems lie in a lack of truthfulness, an evil intent, a greedy heart, a failure to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Perhaps it is even the failure to love yourself enough to respect the choices you make and the quality of life you live.

Jesus offered a powerful message about living in what we often refer to as the Sermon on the Mount. It is found in Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew’s gospel. The closing words of that passage convey an easily understood message.
Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell – and great was its fall!”

Every generation will face those seasons of life’s storms. I wonder if this generation will understand that the strength we will need to establish a future is dependant upon hearing the words of Jesus and acting on them?