It is short hand and not theologically correct. Of course you know that Gordon Gecko is a character in a movie (two movies, now), not a real person. He is a character meant to personify the self-centered, avaricish Wall Street type who loves only money and has no moral boundaries. He is famous for proclaiming that "greed is good." In the latest movie he imagines that money is a "she" who sleeps with him "with one eye open." So, frankly the character is so over-drawn as to have a real mental health problem when it comes to economics.
Are there real people like Gordon Gecko? My own experience with people who work in the finance industry is that many (maybe most) are normal people with strong moral limits and no mental health problem when it comes to money. Some are people who have centered their life in Christ and work to bring Jesus and His values to Wall Street. It may be, as in many professions, that it takes someone who lacks balance to get to the top and that leadership includes an undue percentage of Gordon Geckos.
Unfortunately, it seems that a significant percentage of business (in all industries) seems to think that money cannot be made if one is completely open and fair with people. There is too much deception and manipulation of the very people upon whom the business depends for its life; the customers. It seems difficult to find what has been called "Shaker values." By that I mean businesses that enjoy the creation of their products or services more than stacking up wealth. That is one reason why I favor small, local businesses. I look for people for who are happy to make enough to feed their family, put a roof over their heads, send the kids to college and survive as a business, just so long as they can keep making what they make or doing what they do.
I have strayed from my story: Does economic behavior make a difference in God's eyes? The Bible is replete with prophets condemning the greedy, the dishonest and the manipulative. In Isaiah 58 God says He will not listen to the prayers of otherwise pious people who cheat their workers and play unfair games in the marketplace. It does not matter if they fast and lay prostrate before Him adorned in their religious humility, God will not listen to their prayers because they do not practice economic and social justice. Unless he repents of his sins and allows God to transform his character, there is no room for Gordon Gecko in the New Earth.
Having led the marketing of a national retailer, I understand corporate abuse at a very high level. Not only does corporate greed abuse the customer but the relentless need to manufacture more stuff so there is new stuff to sell to people who already have too much stuff abuses the earth's resources, and workers in Third World countries as well as our own and creates the endless cycle of consumerism so that greed is not just the sin of Gordon Gecko, but of every one of us who gets caught up in consumerism. Scary thought? Yep. Even scarier for me because I was promoting it which put me right up there with Gordon. Losing that marketing job was not the worst thing that ever happened to me. God was talking to me about promoting consumerism long before I got "downsized."
Posted by: Trish | October 03, 2010 at 08:31 AM
Hollywood and the media via giving voice to politicians play into our mental template of the greedy, ruthless business person. We continue to receive plenty of fodder to our mental image on how business is done to us and not many stories of honest business persons.
The current economic malaise has its genesis in monies pouring into Wall Street looking for gain, and agencies such as the SEC not doing their oversight job. Yes, there are pirates on Wall Street, but if we are going to profile sins, let’s be comprehensive. Plenty of accomplices can be found in DC.
Even so, I use the many examples of Jesus’ engagement with the unscrupulous business person. Matthew the tax collector and Zacheus comes to mind.
Given that grace always has the scent of scandal, how is the church doing in influencing the Street and the Hill?
Posted by: chris | October 03, 2010 at 02:39 PM
Trish: I loved your comment - you articulated my response to this article so much better than I could, though I have never worked in marketing.
Revelation 18:12-13 lists 'things' considered valuable to people, beginning with the most valued to the least. Notice how human souls appear at the end of the list. Christians need to make every effort possible to turn this list on its head and make the least things of greatest priority, i.e. human souls first.
Posted by: CJ | October 04, 2010 at 03:59 AM