Financial Angst

Wall Street watchers precipitated panic after seeing the Dow Jones average drop by 500 points yesterday. International markets followed, and suddenly the stack of cards that is the financial district seems to be tilting. News of larger brokerages collapsing and others declaring bankruptcy or headed to the auction block are numerous, following bailouts of mortgage lenders and other investment houses by the Federal Reserve. Over one trillion dollars of assets are now up for sale due to these overnight fluctuations, but not because the problems happened overnight. We have been experiencing a long period of government refusing to exercise oversight, and a failure of enforcement regarding banking and investments. Too many “slight of hand” activities have put too much leveraged (only partially funded) investment into a state of flux. Paper assets have returned to paper. That has left many wringing their hands over choices and decisions that made fast cash in an earlier day…at the expense of the day of reckoning now at hand.

Jesus shared a parable of talents that reminds us of the importance of making good investments. He reminded us that we should not bury our assets in a way that does not allow them to be useful. Likewise Jesus commended us to recognize that the resources we share are the gifts of God and the opportunities to use them --- daily grace to be matched with wise stewardship.

In consideration of the choices you have each day about your resources, consider the challenge to invest well and often in the lives of those near you. Share the love of Christ and the influence of your blessings in ways that bring blessings to others. Many will suffer the difficulties of putting their trust in things that don’t really satisfy, but as followers of Christ, we can learn about seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in order to know all our needs will be met. Priorities matter. Loving God always trumps the love of money.