Following a damning investigation in to the conduct of his staff's fixing of the inter-bank lending rate, this week the Chief Executive of Barclays Bank was forced to resign, in response to pressure not only from the Bank of England but also the industry regulator, politicians and the media. Resigning his post Bob Diamond said that to remain at the bank would be 'damaging the franchise'.
By asking colleagues to falsify lending rate submissions, Barclays traders had manipulated the market in order boost the bank's profits. The chairman of the Financial Services Authority described the traders' dishonesty as 'cynical greed'. While trying to serve their masters at Barclays by increasing the bank's profitability, this cynical greed actually caused their downfall.
In our own working lives, our bosses may ask us to change a report so that it neither asks nor answers too many questions, or to put a gloss on it, or to delay a payment by a couple of days, or simply to "tell them I'm out". Whatever it may be, however trivial it may seem, we too risk 'damaging the franchise' of those we are employed to serve every day.But as people who serve both earthly masters and an eternal heavenly master we have an even greater responsibility; when we act dishonestly at work not only do we risk damaging the reputation of our employers - but we also dishonour our Father.
We don't know if Bob Diamond knew what was going on at his bank. We can be assured however, that we have an amazing heavenly Father who loves us, and sees all that we do.
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Jesus in Matthew 6:24
