Cast Your Bread Upon The Waters
Read Time / 2 Minutes
Theme / Biblically Responsible Investing
There is nothing quite like putting a Bible verse to the test, which I did one day. I often walk our dog around a neighboring pond which is frequented by Mallard, Wood, and Merganser ducks. There can be dozens of birds floating on the water, perhaps resting, or feeding. One day, I decided to put Ecclesiastes 11:1 to the test, so I grabbed a slice of bread and headed out on the walk. In case you are wondering, the verse reads, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.”
When I arrived at the pond, I tore up the bread and tossed it into the water, curious as to what I would find when I returned the next day. Well, I didn’t have to wait since the ducks frantically snatched up the bread as it hit the water.
The story is a little tongue-in-cheek, but it does serve a purpose. How should we interpret Ecclesiastes 11:1? After some research, a possible interpretation of the verse is a farmer casting seed (“bread”) upon rain-soaked or flood-soaked fields (“waters”) in expectation of a future harvest. References to “clouds pouring rain upon the earth” in verse 3 and “sowing seed” in verse 6 lend to that interpretation.
As I contemplated the application of the verse to other areas of life, I naturally thought of investing. But what “waters” should we invest in? The answer is found in the quality of the water. Picture a field slightly flooded with fresh, life-giving, rain from the heavens. The rain turns the seed into a life-giving crop, which blesses the farmer and others. How different the results would be if the water was contaminated. The lesson for us – invest in companies that bless the world, rather than pollute the world. That is the water!
I continue to walk our dog by our neighboring pond, but I haven’t bothered to bring bread again. Besides, my wife read that bread wasn’t healthy for ducks. Another lesson learned.
Doug Hanson, MBA
Wealth Advisor
208.697.3699
doug@christianwm.com
