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Bulletin 155 Date : 2nd Feb 2009
God’s Bailout

The world has gone crazy! Banks right across the globe are in turmoil because they have mis-managed their business and yet, what do governments do? – they bail them out with billions of pounds of tax-payers’ money. Now the car industry which is responsible for much of the pollution which threatens the future of the planet is struggling to sell cars. What do governments do? – they bail them out!

You can hear hard-working, sensible people who have been careful with their money and invested it wisely in bonds and high-return savings accounts protesting that their wealth has been undermined by the prodigal behaviour of banks and car manufacturers. “Quite right,” you may say. This is not the way we should reward failure. Surely they should be made to suffer for their mistakes.

And yet, I remember a story which Jesus told about a young lad who, like the banks, made a complete mess of the enormous wealth at his disposal – wealth which he had greedily and impatiently grabbed from his father. What happens when this young lad comes back home mournfully pleading for mercy because he was starving to death? You’ve guessed it – his father bails him out – puts a robe around him, puts new shoes on his feet and rings on his fingers and throws a lavish party. Can you hear the hard-working, sensible people in the background complaining at the ridiculous behaviour of the father? Surely he should be made to suffer for his mistake, not treated to a lavish party.

I remember a place called Nineveh in the Old Testament which deserved punishment for its many sins. God sent one of his people there (Jonah) to tell them off. No sooner had he arrived than the people of Nineveh changed their ways and were let off, much to Jonah’s annoyance. Surely they should be made to pay for their mistakes, not let off scot-free.

So, has the world really gone crazy or are we seeing God’s standards being applied by governments across the world? What do you think?

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Have a laugh!