Discernment Exercise: Hiding Assets: Friend or Outlaw?

As I travel and speak, it isn’t surprising to me that some of what I say is challenged by some who hear me. It’s healthy, in fact, because it allows for lively discussion where the give and take of ideas can allow us all to reexamine our convictions, prejudices, and views. One thing that is never challenged, however, is the idea that we live in a world where increasingly those around us tend to hold values and beliefs that are different from our own. And that because of this growing pluralism, we find ourselves at least occasionally faced with requests from people that appear to clash with what we believe to be right and true. Requests about which we are required to make a choice, and though we want to do what is right, it is not always immediately clear what that right is. To make matters more complicated, some of our Christian friends may disagree with our decision, and argue that they (and Christ) would have handled the scenario quite differently. And often, our friendships with non-Christians seem to hang in the balance, and our decision can affect their understanding of our faith.

Scenarios such as these two, both of which are true stories (with a few details changed to make them more discussion-worthy):

Scenario #1. A non-Christian friend, let’s call her Susan, has just been abandoned by her husband. His family is quite wealthy, and the couple have been living in a house owned by his family near the University. The plan was that he would finish school while Susan supported them with odd jobs, and then she would finish her degree in music. The only financial asset Susan brought to the marriage is a cello, which has been in her family for several generations, and is worth in excess of $50,000. To keep from losing her cello when their property is divided in the divorce, Susan asks you to purchase her cello for $500, with the promise to sell it back to her for the same amount after the divorce is finalized.

Scenario #2. A single mother, let’s call her Linda, has been working hard to make a go of things, but some unexpected bills have caught up to her, and she is now faced with having to declare bankruptcy. Alienated from her family because of her pregnancy, you have become her closest friend. She asks you to rent a storage unit in your name, and gives you cash to cover the cost for a year’s rental. There is no financial risk for you: at the end of the rental period, either the agreement must be extended or after 30 days the contents of the unit will become the property of the storage company. Though Linda doesn’t have much, she intends to move the few items of value she owns into it in order to hide those assets from the bankruptcy court.

Two scenarios—two requests to help hide assets from the court—requiring a decision. And both raising questions worth discussing.