The Morality of Money - Ascend Leadership
ANCIENT LESSONS ON THE MORALITY OF MONEY:
GUARDING OUR INTEGRITY
When it comes to the morality and ethics of financial services industries, remembering the history outlined in John 2:15 in the bible provides poignant insight.
How well are we doing MORALLY as a civilisation?
How might we each be inspired to face up to the injustices that routinely occur during the cost-of-living, financial corruption and the cybercrime crisis?
JOHN 2:15 NIV BIBLE
"So he (Jesus) made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables."
I know a lot of people are put off by the behaviour of the church or by religion. Me too. Yet there are many brands of faith and kindness. Anyone who is considerate and caring conveys through their actions, the core tenants of the golden rule of every faith: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF. Treat others how you want to be treated. We each live at least some aspect of this virtue.
Last night I collaborated on a video for a sermon that a friend is presenting. This is inspired by a previous video I had constructed on the idea that we ought not to associate having money as having spirituality.
A poignant idea for these times.
If you have money while someone else suffers, you are not great at all. That is uncivilised and unconscionable to every brand and style of faith. Successful civilisations developed the discipline of Alms or Gifts for the Needy to prevent homelessness through charity.
Poverty leads to crime.
This is common sense.
Yet not common sense today.
I thought I would share the video here because I wanted to take my audience back to a moment in time in which a rebel confronted the financial institutions of his time. A rebel named Jesus who had taken over a temple, disrupting money lenders with a whip and turning over their tables.
We tend to forget that what got Jesus killed was his activism against the immorality and unethical behaviours of the establishment.
In a manner of speaking, anyone who stands up for ethics is being at least a little like Jesus. I know that many of you exhibit Jesus's traits in your work.
Yet we live in an age in which it is frowned upon to say Jesus' name. Is there a single woman or man alive today who is brave enough to behave like Jesus? Who can be brave enough to say his name? I will say his name.
Healing the sick.
Confronting injustice.
Is there something wrong with that?
You do not have to perceive Jesus as more than a man to appreciate how incredible he was, to see the impact that he made and to appreciate that Jesus' legacy of kindness still stands as important to this very day.
Important in each of your brave actions to do the right thing.
WWJD | What Would Jesus Do?