TOD 01.17.08

Although we hadn’t watched The Apprentice in a while, we’ve recently been intrigued again by the celebrity version. One of the expressions that gets used a lot on that show (and elsewhere) is, “It’s not personal. It’s just business.”

Of course, no one says this when he’s done something wonderful and loving for another person. It is said exclusively when people are mean or harsh with each other, as in, “You’re completely incompetent, and you made terrible decisions. It’s inconceivable that you actually earned an MBA. You’re fired. But don’t take it personally. It’s just business.” In other words, it’s okay to treat people badly so long as there is a profit to be had, since that’s the nature of business.

Jesus taught a very different notion. He said that we should use money to make friends (Luke 16:9). To Jesus, money is a tool for helping people and building relationships. To Donald Trump, people are a tool for making money. Since these would seem to be incompatible viewpoints, the important question is whether you’ll choose to be “the Donald’s” apprentice or the Lord’s.

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