Radio Days
Several readers have asked for more information about something you heard in one of my radio broadcasts. The thing is, I don’t do radio broadcasts. Not recently, anyway. These stopped suddenly that day I was on the air and said ... well, never mind what I said. Seriously, I haven’t been on the radio, so if you do hear someone on the air claiming to be me, please let me know when and where. I saw something like that in an old Twilight Zone episode, and I’m curious to know how it works.

Big Bad Debts
You can’t talk about money without bringing up America’s favorite financial pastime — borrowing. The topic came up occasionally in the first few columns of last year, prompting some letters, but you responded in force last winter when we assaulted debt in a four-part series (How to Wallow in Debt; Stay Out (of Debt); Get Out (of Debt); How I Survived My Debt Crisis). Just before the crisis-debt piece came out, Katie wrote me with her story:

My boyfriend is facing deep credit card debt that began when he tried paying for college last year on his credit card — a bad mistake that we both realize now. The bills and interest have piled up to where he can't handle it any more, even though he is working full-time. The creditors are demanding money now, and he feels that his only option is to file for bankruptcy. The thought of this puts a knot in my stomach. I hate to see him have to do this. I want to believe there's another way out. Is there? ... I need to know how to help him through this, no matter what avenue he chooses. What does he need from me? What is he feeling? How can I help him? Is there a point when bankruptcy is the only way to go? Am I only causing him more pain when I tell him I don't want him to file for bankruptcy?

Her boyfriend may be in a world of debt, but in having such a woman in his life, he is rich beyond measure. If you or someone you know is in a similar situation, you, too, will find that piece helpful. Meanwhile, the debt letters keep coming, including one just this week from a college junior:

I have found myself deep in student credit card debt ... now I’m living in the guilty world of debt every day. I’m about $3,500 in the hole ... with not much income ... I’m scared and embarrassed to the point I can’t tell anyone ... sometimes I feel like there's no way out. ... Last month was the first month I couldn’t even pay the minimum and when I saw my statement this month I freaked out. I don’t know if they can put me in jail or what, but really I’m scared and like I said before I can’t really tell anyone, not even my parents, because it’s a terrible character flaw. ... I have been in and out of depression states for a little over a year now. Sometimes it just feels like the world is crashing down on me.

Debt’s greatest cost doesn’t show up as interest, but as suffering. I assured him that his debt was conquerable, and covered the steps described in the crisis-debt piece. I also encouraged him to share his burden with a trusted friend.

"The fact that you're doing something about [your debt] shows courage. ... In the midst of your troubles, revel in that. It's allowed. And revel in something else: Our God doesn't charge admission to His love. You can be broke, in debt up to your eyeballs, with no financial hope in sight, and he'll still give you His love for free."

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if his crisis was more than financial: "If you've got more trouble going on inside than this debt thing, deal with that too. Talk to God. Talk to a trusted friend, a pastor, a family member. Share your burdens. You were bold enough to tell some of this to me. Now reveal it to someone close by."

I need to heed my own advice. How about you?

College Loans
My columns on debt also brought a few responses from readers asking about student loans. I addressed this hot topic specifically in a later column (The Student Loan Swindle), but this reader’s letter dealt with a subject that delved deeper than the financial matters. Faced with a choice of colleges, Lora was trying to decide whether to commute to a state university offering a scholarship, or to move away to a much more expensive Christian school. She asked, "Is it wise to borrow money to go to one school (however reputable and renowned) when you have another decent one paid for?"

Great question. From a strictly financial standpoint, it comes down to this: College loans are a form of investment debt — you're borrowing money to pay for something that is expected to increase in value. If your loan-funded education will allow you to make more money in the future than if you had received a "cash" education (taking into account the interest on the debt and other financial issues), then it's a wise financial investment.

But what the numbers won’t tell you is the value of the debt-fed education in nonfinancial terms. Certainly in Lora’s case , there was much to be gained from living on campus in a community of committed Christians, attaining an education rooted in a Christian world view. How do you put a price tag on these items?

You can’t. So it seems that the financial issue is not the bottom-line issue. The real bottom line is more personal, and it can make the borrowing option a smart one even when it’s not a financial win. From a biblical perspective, is it OK to borrow money to get such an education, even if it’s a financial loss? Yes, I believe it can be. But that's a good question to ask God and wise Christians who know you.

The college loan piece prompted another reader to share a dilemma. His struck me hard:

My 18-year-old son went to [college] this year as a freshman. He is now in jail ... awaiting trial for cocaine trafficking. We are heartbroken. [The school] accepted payments, for my son’s tuition, of over $5,000 for the term. He did not attend or live there most of the months of November and December. While I understand he’s responsible for his actions, is there no recourse for parents who are paying the tab? Most businesses have a responsibility to give a product or service for the money they receive. I know it is a complex issue, privacy act and all; but it's frustrating to send out a son and get a drug addict back.

It is painfully ironic that schools depend on parental finances for tuition — indeed, if you’re a dependent you can’t even apply for college without divulging your parents’ finances — yet these schools are not answerable to the parents who pay for that education. The school took this father’s money but didn’t inform him that the services he purchased were not being used. Certainly, my heart goes out to both father and son. Still, it’s a poignant example of how schools often play with a different set of business rules, and some of their customers don’t discover this till it’s too late.

Recycled Wheels
In last May’s column, we talked about how to buy a used car (How to Buy a Car the Bank Won’t Own). I described a smart way of buying a used car from a private owner rather than a professional dealer, and had some harsh things to say about the latter. Ken, a used-car dealer, wrote:

I was offended by [Temple’s] remarks about used-car dealers. They were loaded with stereotypes and prejudices. In a state such as Wisconsin an auto dealer has strict guidelines he must follow in order to offer a vehicle for sale, and to keep his license to do business. It seems to me a consumer should feel better about buying a car from a dealer who is concerned enough to obtain a license, follow the rules of the state, pay fees, bonds and related insurance costs, etc. This is not the first time I have heard prejudice against "used-car dealers" from the Christian community. I do understand it comes from men, not God.

In my defense, I wasn't trying to smear used-car dealers, or to say that all are deceitful and sneaky and bad. I was merely informing readers of the facts: The average used-car dealer knows far less about the history of the car he’s selling than a private seller; and he’s seeking a profit, whereas the average private seller is merely trying to get out from under payments or come up with enough cash for another need. Stereotype or not, used-car dealers (like anyone) can be unscrupulous.

Unfortunately, car dealers rank very high on the lists of consumer complaints compiled by government and nonprofit consumer agencies. Many dealers are above reproach, but the reputation is flavored by the very bad apples, not the good ones. Licensing and other forms of regulation are helpful, but the fact that a dealer has obtained a license does not ensure my confidence in his virtues. Hairstylists have licenses, but that doesn't guarantee me a good haircut. Auto-repair shops are licensed, but they don't always do the work I ask. Licensing can be a very good thing, but it's no guarantee of integrity and competence. There is no industry on this earth of which I do not warn buyers to beware.

While I disagreed with Ken on some things, I concur with him on this (and told him so): I focused on the bad without calling attention to the good, and this was wrong. Nothing deflates one’s characterization of the "enemy" quicker than finding out that he’s a friend. This dealer is, as he put it, "an imperfect Christian used-car and truck dealer just trying to make a living, tithe, pay taxes, etc., similar to what a grocer, journalist, author, doctor, or most Americans are trying to do." I’m humbled by his attitude in the midst of a very tough business, and I applaud his efforts to disprove a stereotype as he seeks to live according to the higher standard we share.

The used-car piece brought some lighter responses, too. In our culture, buying a cheap used car carries with it no badge of honor. So when I stuck my neck out and announced, "Hey, I bought a cheap used car and I’m proud of it!" a few of you stood up — I mean, wrote in — and shouted, "me too." As I recall, the prize went to a student who paid $300 for a good, reliable car. I think there should be some kind of honor roll for brave souls who rise above social pressure and buy cars with their own money, not the bank’s. My applause to all of you who’ve accepted the challenge.

That Giving Thing
In July I wrote the second part of a two-part series on giving (Giving It Back). In it I discussed the idea of raising your tithing percentage each year — something I called the "graduated tithe." Dale responded:

I'm wondering where you got the idea of the "graduated tithe." While this may have originated with others, I think Ron Sider (author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger) brought it to prominence, did he not? I think it would be good for you to acknowledge that the idea is not original with you.

He’s right. While I didn’t claim that the idea was mine, I failed to mention where I got it. Frankly, I didn’t know myself until Dale’s note triggered my memory. I had read a tract on giving by this author many years ago. The idea stuck, the source didn’t. My apologies for this lapse, and thanks to Dale for pointing out where to find more on this adventuresome form of giving.

In his letter, Dale also called my attention to a man who practiced a form of giving even wilder than the graduated tithe. John Wesley, the 18th century evangelist who founded Methodism, lived on a stipend of 10 pounds a year his entire life. Though his books and hymns earned him 30,000 pounds — a vast fortune in his day — he took his 10 quid a year and gave the rest away.

I’ve been finding other such tales while working on a book about influential Christians of the 20th century. A few examples: Early in his career, preacher H.A. Ironside would walk into a railway station, empty his pockets and buy a railway ticket for as far as the cash and coins would carry him, then step off the train and begin preaching. God provided for him this way for years — although he confessed that he spent many nights sleeping in trees.

A.W. Tozer, author of The Pursuit of God, was another daring manager of God’s money. As a pastor, he was so sought-after that he could have demanded any salary from the churches he led. But whenever the topic of pay came up at a meeting, he would get up and leave the room. And Ken Taylor, whose paraphrase of Scripture, The Living Bible, became the fastest-selling book in America soon after its release in 1971, donated all royalties from its sales. By 1996, these contributions, combined with those from other books published by the company he founded (Tyndale House Publishers), totaled $30 million.

It’s amazing what God manages to do with His own money when we dare to give it back to him. Nearly as amazing is that I’ve spent the past two years working on this book, yet until I got Dale’s letter, I hadn’t fully appreciated how many of the most influential Christians in our century had similar stories about how they handled money. When Jesus said, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" he wasn’t just kidding around.

And Now...
I hope you’ve learned as much from this column as I’ve learned from your thoughtful responses this past year. Now on to a new year: If something you read in this space strikes well or ill, or if you have questions or comments regarding things we’ve yet to cover, please let me know. It’s been a pleasure corresponding with so many of you. I look forward to more dialogue ahead.