Is greed good?

I just got back from seeing the new Wall Street movie.

Gordo Gekko is back!  Yet his defining statement “greed is good” has now turned more into a question  “Is greed good?” Now that Gordon has had time to reflect on his life after a lengthy prison stint, he seems to do a lot more soul searching in this sequel.

We know the bible is pretty harsh on greed:

1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 and Ephesians 5:5 tell us that ‘greedy persons will NOT inherit God’s Kingdom’.

In Ephesians 5:3 Paul said: “Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among you”

Also in Ephesians 4:17-19, 28 we’re told that rather than becoming greedy, wanting something that’s not ours, we should work hard to buy our own, and have extra to give others in need.

1 Corinthians 5:11 tells Christians not to even associate with a greedy person,

I could go on and on as God’s Word speaks much about the dangers of greed. You see some of the dangers play out throughout the movie as corporations and the financial system come to the brink of disaster.

Wall Street hits a little too close to home as director Oliver Stone’s storyline very closely resembles the 2008-2010 economic meltdown.  The movie often feels more like a documentary about how the collapse happened and how dangerous our financial system was from being completely wiped out.  Though you would love to think that Oliver exaggerated the story, the sad part is, there is enough similarities that you begin to wonder how close this is from the truth?

Being a stock market junkie, I really enjoyed the movie.  There was enough side stories and non-financial market content to keep a wide audience entertained.  The biggest win for the movie in my eyes was Gordon’s quest to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter and make up for much of the harm he caused.  The quest for redemption is something we all long to see.  You can’t help but like Gordon but at the same time you don’t want to get too close to him cause you know you’re headed for another heartbreak!

I highly recommend this film, especially if you’re like me and love financial movies.  Just a warning though: if you are upset with the shenanigans that went down on the real Wall Street the past few years, you may find yourself asking quite a few more questions about what really went on during the crash.  It also helps you see that greed isn’t good and that life really is all about relationships.

Want to watch the trailer?