Panic. Shouting fire in a crowded theater. Being caught doing something you know is horribly wrong that you thought no one would ever catch you doing.
Greed. When enough is never enough. Wanting more and more, convincing yourself that you deserve more.
Arrogance. Twenty-somethings full of themselves on Wall Street, roaring through their naivety in a red Ferrari.
Bulletproof. Other people are fools, you’re smarter. Others may fall, not you. You’ve got enough money to weather any storm, only the morons get hurt.
Reality. The Panic of 2008 will now enter the history books. Greed, arrogance, and the sense of being bulletproof are revealed to be full of folly. Finger pointing abounds. The smartest guys in the room were wrong again.
Jesus warned us about the folly of financial security, and what He said 2000 years ago stands the test of time and our pseudo-sophisticated culture:
“Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.”
Then he told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a
terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big
enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear
down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain
and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got
it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your
life!’
“Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’
“That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God” (Luke 12:14-21, The Message)
As the prophets of old used to say, “He who has ears, let him hear.”