Bad boys! Bad boys!

Bad boys! Bad boys!
(a brief lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

I blame George Bailey.

Had there never been a George Bailey and a "good ol' Bailey Building and Loan" I might have never even considered a career in banking. From early in my life I was annually dosed with "It's A Wonderful Life" every holiday season, becoming entirely suffused with the story of one good man standing up to the embodiment of all the evil that is done in this world for the sake of greed.

What I missed, or maybe forgot, was that Mr. Potter ALSO served on the board of the Bailey Building and Loan. In fact, Potter was there long before George helped out after his Dad died, long before George took the helm to prevent the business from shutting down, long before George made his impassioned speech to his depositors to prevent a run on the bank ("Charlie, your money's not here; it's in Mr. Martini's house. And Bob, your money is in Mr. and Mrs. Thompson's house. Don't you see?").

I carried that Pollyanna view well into adulthood; but over the course of my banking career the patina of a George Bailey-ness was slowly worn away by the reality of actual banking. And initially this was quite upsetting to me. I wanted to be George Bailey, but it seemed everyone wanted me to be Mr. Potter. Eventually, even this piece of self-righteous deception was finally worn away by reality. I came to a realization that while, yes, there were many George Baileys working in the banking world, there were also many Mr. Potters. And then, before I could do any damage with my wrong headedness, God helped me see the truth that had been before my eyes all along. I finally saw banking for what it was, what it had always been.

Us.

When we deposit our money into a bank account, it's our money the bankers lend out. It really IS in Sue's house, and Bob's car, and Jim's retail store, and any of several million other places. And while it is true the Mr. Potters of this world are part of it, so are we. Like most of the things in this life, it is not inherently good or bad; rather, it is something we can wield for good or ill. It's really all about us.

How you think about the story Jesus tells in Luke 16:1-13 depends entirely on who you see yourself as in the story. Are you the Master who's resources have (and continue to be) wasted? Or are you the shrewd servant who flips a potentially devastating turn of events into a big personal win? Or are you one of the debtors who suddenly, and happily, finds his/her debt significantly reduced?

The scenario Jesus illustrates is quite common in the banking world; with the main roles being represented by the Board of Directors, the banker, and the borrowers. Would you be surprised to learn that bankers sometimes forgive a portion of a borrower's debt? And would you be shocked to learn that this is often perceived as exactly the right thing to do by the bank's Board of Directors? Sometimes shrewd carries the day.

Like most of the stories told by Jesus, this one was for everyone standing there; the Pharisees, the disciples, the crowd; each to understand it in a different way. So who are you in the story? As strange as it sounds, everyone wins in this story, even those we find less than admirable. And I for one am very glad to know that. Because the point of the story is this: even the shrewdest people of this world can find reasons to forgive others, even if only for self-preservation.

How wonderful that God's grace is so wildly absurd that it exceeds even the flawed system we humans take part in to conduct the business of life in this world.

Be spiritually shrewd. Forgive.

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Jeremiah 8:18-9:1
Psalm 79:1-9
Amos 8:4-7
Psalm 113
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Luke 16:1-13

If you are in Waco Friday, join us at the Olive Branch (River Square on Franklin, near University Parks Blvd) at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast and fellowship.

Enjoy!
Steve