Simon and Bex introduce their new ‘Financial Crises’ season, explaining what they hope listeners will find interesting and helpful in it. They start by discussing what financial crises are, why they happen and how we can respond to them.

Some key points of interest covered in this episode include the following:

• Simon introduces the season by commenting that financial crises are significant because they can affect any or all of us at any time and can have a really significant impact on people’s lives. [01:38] Bex then outlines the content of the season, which will include Ponzi Schemes, Rogue Traders and Financial Bubbles before concluding with an episode on Boom, Bust and Belief. [02:44]
• Simon explains that this first episode will pose a number of questions around financial crises [03:45], the first one (asked by Bex) being, ‘Are financial crises happening more regularly?’ [04:39]
• When asked to define the distinctive nature of financial crises, Simon suggests that it is their scale – geographically and financially – that makes them stand out. [06:37]
• Financial crises are also sufficiently frequent and widespread to mean that they are likely to affect each one of us at one or more points in our lives. [09:25] Moreover, they can affect us very significantly even if the core element of the crisis is happening many miles away and has nothing to do with us in terms of its nature and causes. [10:51]
• Each financial crisis that we encounter raises the question of how, as Christians, we should respond to such an unsettling and difficult situation. [12:28] What does a godly and trusting response look like, and how can we support our community and individuals rocked by adverse events when we are affected by them as well? [13:57]
• Bex cites Job as a biblical example of an individual who has to grapple with how best to maintain his faith and trust in God under the most trying of circumstances. [16:25] Ultimately, in chapter 42 verses 1-3 of the book of the Bible bearing his name, Job acknowledges God’s sovereignty and accepts that not every ‘Why?’ question can be answered in this life: ‘Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”.’ [19:13]
• Simon concludes by encouraging listeners to tune in to subsequent episodes of this season if they are interested in exploring how best to respond to financial crises. The next episode will focus on financial crises in the Bible, which were often triggered by war and/or famine. [20:31]

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