Monday a comic book collector purchased a small part of comic history. For a near mint condition copy of “Amazing Fantasy” # 15 an anonymous buyer paid $1.1 million. Now, what is so special about this issue is that it is the first time Spiderman ever made an appearance in a story-line. With the recent price spike in collector items such as comic books, baseball cards, etc., I must honestly admit that this story did not impress we all that much. It was not until this news story mentioned the original price of the comic book that the wheels in my head started turning. Yes, in 1962 this comic book would have originally sold for $.12 – that would be 12 CENTS! Could you imagine if you were a fortunately thoughtful individual who had bought a copy of this comic book almost fifty years ago, and for whatever reason kept it in a sealed container to protect its pages from wear and natural yellowing and then sold it recently for that much money. That is a return of over 9,000,000%! I have to say with some degree of confidence that in the world of money management, that is not a bad investment!
Obviously, though, in 1962 there was no guarantee that buying this comic book would yield any return. In that sense, regardless of how it turned out, this transaction was much like any other investment – it carried with it a certain degree of risk. However, risk is something you accept in the world of investment. One must enter the stock market with the realization that it guarantees nothing. Yet we willingly invest our money for the sake of our retirement, knowing that it provides the most likely avenue of providing the money we will need in our later years. Thus because the benefit outweighs the risk we gladly take the leap.
But what would you say if I could offer you an investment that carries with it zero risk. However, not only is the risk non-existent but the return is guaranteed. And not only is the return guaranteed but its yield can only be measured in terms of the infinite. If such an investment opportunity existed in the financial world every person on earth would get in line with every cent they possess in order to “get in on a good thing.” But while it does not exist in the financial world, it does exist in the spiritual. God has offered us redemption and the eternal salvation of our souls. All He has asked for in exchange is our obedience and a lifetime of service. Peter wrote of this willing exchange of life for life by stating, “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9). Eternity is an infinite amount of time – and an eternity in heaven can be obtained for a mere lifetime of service. The risk factor is zero and the return is guaranteed. To put this in terms of the financial world, that is not a bad investment!
-Andy Brewer
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/spider-man39s-debut-comic-sells-for-1.1-million