“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.”

– Persian Proverb

Many consider this a time of economic darkness. The news is littered with cries of ruin, poverty, and self-indulgence in the wake of the current global economic crisis— a result of undue federal regulation and an element of greed, both on the part of the brokers, investors, and bankers and on the part of the consumers. Venerable journalist Robert Samuelson agrees that “Greed and fear…have seeded this global crises…short term rewards blinded [profiteers] to the long term dangers.” Jim Wallis, author of The Great Awakening, indicates that “the moral consequence of [this] greed [is that] private profit has prevailed over the concept of the common good.” Richard C. Cook, a retired federal analyst for the U.S. Treasury Department, realizes that “this [outlook] is what must be changed, not just mechanics.” It’s against the dark backdrop of this defective moral outlook that we are able to see the stars—to see profit not through the polluted lens of greed but through the Biblical lens of stewardship.

Greed and profit have become synonymous for each other in modern-day society, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Greed is unquestionably immoral; profit, on the other hand, (as well as the entire market system) is amoral and condoned by the majority of world religions, but particularly by Christianity. Deuteronomy 8:18 declares simply that “it is [the LORD your God] who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (NIV). But the key is not the profit itself; rather, it’s the motive behind the accretion of profit and the ultimate application of profit that becomes moral or immoral…

The poverty-battling circulation of profit gives life to Deuteronomy 15:4 which argues that “there should be no poor among you.” Nelson Mandela agrees that “poverty is man-made and it can be overcome by the actions of human beings.” The total eradication of poverty will not be in this moment, but right now we can take a step that may lead to that day. As the Chinese Proverb goes, “Those who wish to move a mountain must first start by clearing away small stones.” Profit is the key. If we harness profit and use it for the common good, poverty won’t have much of a chance. Profit must be altruistic, not egoistic. Once we as a collective global community choose to love our global neighbors as ourselves (Romans 13:9) instead of forsaking the common good out of self-indulgence, we will be closer to moving this mountain of poverty than we’ve ever been. It’s in these darkened days of greed that we need to see the Biblical model of profit twinkling in this economic night. It’s time we recognize the saving power built into profit and unleash this power in an unselfish defense of the worlds’ poor.