Guests follow proceedings during a listed company’s investors briefing at a Nairobi hotel. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NMG
Remember this speech,
“…. greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed
works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the
evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for
money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind.”
Yes, these are the chilling words delivered by Gekko, the flawed character played by Michael Douglas, in the movie Wall Street.
This
speech is the only thing most people remember about the movie. It does
say a lot about human nature. But is there an alternative way? Well,
since we’re in a Christian festive season, let’s hear it from Mary’s
son. What would Jesus say about greed? What would the Saviour say about
your investments? What would the Prince of Peace say about your attitude
towards money? Let’s dive in.
First is the parable of
the rich fool. Luke 12:15 (NIV). “Watch out! Be on your guard against
all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of
possessions.” In this passage, Jesus teaches us that life is much more
important than your portfolio. He teaches us that money is not an end in
itself but a means to an end. To put your hope and trust in your
“basket of wealth”, is setting yourself up to a life of disappointment.
He
reminds us of this undeniable reality; whoever loves money never has
enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
Second
is the parable of the bags of gold. Matthew 25: 14-16 (NIV). “The man
who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to
work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold
gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a
hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” Here Jesus teaches us
that good stewardship is putting your money to work.
Money
in the bank should only be for events, emergencies and short-term
saving plans. Any surplus should go into stocks, bonds, real estate and
so on. Not included in this list is “quick money” ventures – read
cryptos, quails, sports betting, gambling et cetera. Remember the one
who gathers little by little shall keep it in the end.
Third
is the parable of the shrewd manager. Luke 16: 10-12 (NIV). “Whoever
can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and
whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much”
So
if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will
trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with
someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
Implicit in this passage are lessons on fidelity to the investment
principles of prudence, diligence and accountability. Suffice to say,
plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to
poverty.
In the end, these two different world views
present two different options; Jesus, the teacher or Gekko, the
Machiavellian? Judge for yourself which is right but in one, there is
life.
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