Ethical investment – talk about a meaty topic for an edition of The Lutheran! And isn’t it awkward to have money and ethics in one package? Most people don’t like to be told the ‘right way’ to spend, save, invest, or give away ‘their’ money.
But, for a Christian, are investment and ethics really such odd bedfellows? Haven’t we all explored the concept of good stewardship being a responsibility that goes hand-in-hand with whatever financial gifts God has given us?
Haven’t we read the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30) and half a dozen chapters earlier (19:24), learnt that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter heaven? (Now, I don’t know about you, but earlier this week I couldn’t even get a thin strand of cotton through the eye of a needle to reattach a button on my coat, so the camel metaphor makes me wince.)
As people of faith, if we are blessed to receive compulsory superannuation payments or have funds beyond our daily needs, we can take the concept of ‘ethical investing’ even further than its standard meaning. Under the secular definition, ethical investors may choose to put ‘their’ money into projects, products and companies with sound credentials in terms of environmental, social and governance practices, or ‘ESG’ as they are known.
Indeed, these are worthy – and biblically backed – criteria. In Scripture God calls on us to care for creation and our fellow citizens, and expects us to act with integrity, accountability, honesty and justice in our dealings in business and finance.
But whether we have ‘investments’ in the common understanding of the word, we can endeavour to do good through all of ‘our’ financial dealings. We may choose to ‘invest’ directly in people, from showing generosity to someone in need, to giving to overseas aid and development efforts, or donating to local charities working in such areas as youth unemployment, mental health, homelessness, domestic violence, or refugee support. We might make a regular gift or leave a bequest to a ministry of the church, or even give someone a gift subscription to The Lutheran!
In the following pages, I pray you’ll be encouraged – and challenged – as you read stories from members of our Lutheran family about this topic. Along with our regular columns and faith-life materials, this edition is packed with news and views from around the church and resources offered by LCANZ ministries.
God bless,
Lisa
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