Exclusive Chuck Bentley Interview: Seven Gray Swans (2021)

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Crown Financial President, Chuck Bentley, has come out with a new book, Seven Gray Swans, wherein he brings substantial possibilities to light and offers guidance to Christians on how to best navigate and prepare.

With the excitement of the 2021 Inauguration, I was able to talk with Chuck Bentley and ask him about universal basic income and the Coronavirus pandemic we are in the middle of experiencing.

What is a Gray Swan?

A “Gray Swan” is a potentially very significant event that is considered unlikely, but possible enough to have contingencies in place for ominous possibilities that could be world-shaking. In the book, Chuck does a Biblical analysis of SEVEN key topics like universal basic income, democratic socialism, social scoring and biometric IDs, with a goal of showing you how to prepare for and survive a Gray Swan event.

5 Financial Questions with Chuck Bentley

What resources does Crown Financial have for folks who’ve been laid off during the Pandemic?

Chuck Bentley: We have a special collection of FREE resources at Crown.org/coronavirus to help people with a crisis budget, their job search and other helpful, encouraging content.

What contingencies should we put in place in case there’s another pandemic and/or governmental shut-down?

Chuck Bentley: Some of the experts I read believe that pandemics will not end when COVID-19 is contained. It is always good to anticipate the future and prepare. Here is a simple Biblical strategy:  increase your giving to help others, increase your savings to weather more economic storms, diversify your investments, analyze your income sources and be sure you are working in a field that will remain essential and/or develop other sources of income.

What has the year 2020 taught you about finances?

Chuck Bentley: We are vulnerable. Life is temporal. Stuff does not matter. God is faithful. Gray swan events like a pandemic impact not just our lives but our livelihoods. When Jesus told us to build our house upon the Rock it was because we should expect storms. We know that we can lose everything we have but not lose hope because He will be faithful to care for us through every storm.  (I Corinthians 1:9)

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God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:9

What is Universal Basic Income? And how important is it for modern Christians?

Chuck Bentley: UBI, or Universal Basic Income, is a guaranteed monthly income provided by the government without qualification.  It is being touted by many high profile, well-meaning leaders from the Pope to Andrew Yang to Mark Zuckerberg as a viable plan to save us from inequality, economic disasters or the burden to work in a meaningless job to name just a few of the supposed benefits.  The idea holds lofty promises and dangerous perils.  Some of my concerns include, paying for the plan, removing the dignity and character building derived from work and enabling greater government control over our income.

What is the most important thing we should do with our finances in 2021?

Chuck Bentley: Give first, save second is the simple mantra that will set your finances on a solid path during a stormy period.  It is easy to remember but a challenge to put into practice. It requires creating enough financial margin in your budget to ensure you have the capacity to maintain these two priorities at all times.

About Crown Financial

Crown Financial aims to see believers all over the world committed to managing all that we are, have, and influence for His glory so that lives are transformed, economies flourish, and the Gospel is spread to all nations.