A Culture of Greed

"My father told me that (Robert) Lehman demanded-and received-assurance before deals were struck that the best interests of all those investing in companies underwritten by Lehman Bros. were thoroughly considered. if there were any doubt whatsoever about the soundness of the investment, he would walk away, regardless of the potential profits." Walt Gardner, writing in the September 25, 2008 edition of USA Today, is describing his father's experience in the early days of Lehman Bros.. Morris Gardner worked for the company for fifty years, retiring in 1968 as comptroller.

If Lehman Bros., and the other failing financial institutions, had continued to follow that ethic, much current and future suffering would have been averted. How have we fallen so far, from a culture of caring for everyone’s best interest to a culture of caring only for our own? "Greed is, for lack of a better word, good", Gordon Gekko, famously said in the movie, Wall Street. He was pretty convincing. But we are now seeing the limits to that philosophy of self-interest.

The Bible says to give, and it will be given to you, Love others as you love yourself. Look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.

We would live in a far different culture if everyone did business like Mr. Lehman, who must have had some familiarity with these Judeo-Christian ethics, rather than Mr. Gekko.

Jesus, as we endure the fallout from our culture of greed, please give us ears to hear your words of caring for each other.

Image Truth

"God, I'm out on a limb, here." I'd just sent in my memoir manuscript and was feeling vulnerable. Immediately, an image came, of Jesus standing under the limb, supporting the thick branch. Not only was the branch enough to hold me, but it rested on Jesus' shoulder, directly under my position on the limb.

So many times in our lives, we feel like we're in precarious positions, don't we? We are facing foreclosure, feeling so alone, wondering what to do next. Maybe we sensed God's call to graduate school, but the work feels so overwhelming. Or we're grieving a painful childhood, wondering if we'll ever feel good, like other people seem to.

But feelings don't always tell the truth. God tells the truth and we must tell ourselves the truth. Jesus says  "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:20 NIV)
And Isaiah records God's intentions regarding Israel, and all those whom he has called to follow:

"But you, O Israel (insert your own name), my servant,
       Jacob, whom I have chosen,
       you descendants of Abraham my friend,

  I took you from the ends of the earth,
       from its farthest corners I called you.
       I said, 'You are my servant';
       I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

  So do not fear, for I am with you;
       do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
       I will strengthen you and help you;
       I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:8-10, NIV

God has chosen us and not rejected us. Though we may feel we are in precarious positions, God is our support and our strength. We can learn to rest in that truth, no matter what it feels like.

Father, we thank you that our life with you does not depend on our changeable feelings, but rests on your unchanging choice to uphold us. Please give us a sustaining image of that reality. 

Seed Believer

 

Lotus

Frankly, I was an unbeliever. When my husband harvested seeds from a roadside lotus plant a few years ago, I didn’t believe we could really grow it. But I kept my mouth shut as he dug a deep hole, set a plastic garbage can, and planted the seeds in soil weighted with stones in the deep water. The first two years, only the round leaves perched on tall stems stood out among our backyard tangle of coneflowers, coreopsis, and cosmos. But in the third year, it bloomed! Not only did the plant grow from the found seeds, it reproduced itself, beautifully.

How many seeds are languishing in our lives because we don’t believe they can grow? Seeds of greatness or at least of goodness. Ways we could bloom if we could just believe it was possible. We don’t pursue what we don’t believe is possible. We vaguely dream of impossible activities, but we don’t plan to make them happen. We don’t go back to school to learn new skills. We don’t call the local SCORE business counselors to help us start a new business if we have no vision of success. We don’t get off the couch if we feel like seedless soil.

Granted, seeds don’t always come to fruition. But seeds will for sure not grow if they are left in the seed bin. Only those that are exposed to light, air, and water will take root.

Jesus, please show us the seeds you want to nourish in our lives and give us grace to let them grow.