Taking the Long Position

Reflection on The Story - Chapter 2: God Builds a Nation (Genesis Ch. 12-22)

            I have often questioned God’s wisdom in giving children to people who are still basically children themselves!  The response, of course, is always “God does this because young people have the energy to keep up with children while the older and wiser adults do not.”  Nevertheless, God gives children to people who have no idea what they are doing.  Notice that God’s plan usually goes against common sense…

            However, as we read in Genesis, God does not build his nation with a young newlywed couple.  Instead, God chooses an older, wiser couple – Abram and Sarai.  This sounds like a great idea – parents who might have a clue!  There is one problem.  Abram and Sarai aren’t supposed to be able to have children.  They are too old.

            Nonetheless, God moves forward with a new and improved plan to draw his people back into a relationship after the fall by building a nation who will love God and each other.  And going against common sense (again), God chooses two unlikely people to carry this plan out.

            The next part of the story is like watching a hedge fund manager take a long position on a stock that appears to be dead in the water.  Initially, the stock increases in value because there is a hint of excitement over this new venture – there is some buy in. 

However, the price of the stock falls over the years.  Even members of the company start to buy shares in a rival company (think Abram having a baby with the servant girl Hagar).  In case things don’t work out, the employees want to be sure they have something to fall back on.

However, the CEO of this company is relentless.  The same old promises are made again and again.  “You will soon have more money than Davey Crockett!” or something like that…Meanwhile, a disillusioned employee in the back of the room starts laughing.  But the CEO is dead serious.

Finally, twenty-five years later, when the remnant of the company is about to walk out for good, a major breakthrough occurs.  The stock-prices start to soar.  The employees have more money than Davey Crockett - and the employee in the back of the room is still laughing but this time with joy!  The company has a great run!  Sure, there are a few scandals along the way.  But what did we expect?  This is Wall Street!

However, shareholders in the company get greedy.  They gang up on the most lucrative guy so they can get a bigger slice of the pie.  But the tables will soon turn.  The greedy shareholders will be at the mercy of the guy they threw in the alley. 

What will happen next?  What is to come of the CEO?  A rumor is circulating that he is about to be charged with insider-trading.  But wait, a whole lot more happens in the meantime…

They say, 'People plan; God laughs.'  It seems more appropriate to say, 'God plans, we laugh.'