Provoke Radio #87: The Spiritual Lessons of the Financial Crisis

(A religious show, hosted by a Jesuit, dedicated to exploring issues of Peace and Social Justice.)

#87: The Spiritual Lessons of the Financial Crisis
Provoke Radio (Maryland)
Host: Father Stephen Spahn

By now it is abundantly clear, a morality tale of epic proportions is unfolding across the land. The protagonist… is Us. You and me. The antagonist? The formidable army of The Seven Deadly Sins, led into battle by its bold and brazen, insatiable and rapacious commander… Greed. His deputy, Wrath, sits on the sideline, chomping at the bit, ready and eager to burst on the scene and make heads roll. Meanwhile, Greed and his legions set up headquarters on Wall Street and Main Street. They are cloaked in Willful Ignorance and Blind Self Interest and armed with weapons of mass destruction called “Sub Prime Mortgages”, “Arcane Financial Instruments” and “Exotic Derivatives”. They calculate their next move from high atop their mountain of gold, behind the walls of their impenetrable Fortress of Financial Security, far removed from the daily battle below and immune to the defeat, despair and destruction they have caused. They promise wealth and glory for all but the only thing that trickles down from this mountaintop is More Want and Desire. And they laugh at our pathetic gullibility as they go skydiving with golden parachutes. So the battle rages on. What’s at stake are our very hearts and souls, our sense of right and wrong, of what’s important, good, and true. Yes, a morality tale is unfolding across the land. How it all ends is anyone’s guess, but the lessons are as clear as the opening bell for anyone paying attention. Listen in as Provoke asks: is this a crisis of ethics? If so, who is responsible? What would justice look like? And what message does the Cross offer at a time like this? There is something here for everyone. Don’t miss it. Guests are: Reverend Mark Bozzuti-Jones, pastor of Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church, New York City; Reverend James Martin SJ, Associate Editor of America Magazine and author of My Life with the Saints; and Mr. Michael Sean Williams, regular contributor to America Magazine.

To Listen to the Conversation (go to 11/02/08)