Invest Like an Owner with Robin John

What if we stopped investing like bystanders and started investing like owners and “neighbors” in the story of our finances?

When you invest like an owner, our portfolios can reflect faithful stewardship and create real-world impact. Robin John joins us today to share practical ways to move from passive investing to purposeful ownership.

Robin John is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Eventide Asset Management, an underwriter of Faith & Finance. He’s also the author of the book, The Good Investor: How Your Work Can Confront Injustice, Love Your Neighbor, and Bring Healing to the World.

Investing vs. Speculating

Many people confuse investing with speculating. Speculating—like day trading—is often no different than gambling. It’s focused on short-term gains, trying to predict what the market will do tomorrow. But investing is about ownership. When you buy a stock, you’re buying a piece of a company. You become a co-owner.

That means your money is participating in real work—serving customers, employing people, and creating products that impact lives. As Christians, we should invest in companies we believe are doing good for the world, not just generating profits.

Speculation is reactive and anxious. Investing, when done faithfully, allows us to rest in the knowledge that our capital is working toward purposes aligned with God’s design for flourishing.

The Responsibility of Ownership

Ownership changes everything. It confers ethical responsibility.

If you owned a neighborhood store, you’d care deeply about how it serves your community, treats employees, and impacts the environment. In the same way, being a shareholder means you share in both the profits and the moral implications of what that company does.

That’s why Eventide Asset Management believes that Christians must think like owners, not traders. Ownership means engaging thoughtfully with the companies we invest in—voting proxies, engaging in dialogue with management, and ensuring that our capital is stewarded with integrity. Our investing isn’t just about earning; it’s about embodying our faith in the marketplace.

Why Passive Investing Deserves a Closer Look

In recent years, many investors have turned to index funds or “passive” strategies. While these offer simplicity and diversification, I believe we should pause and ask: What are we actually owning?

As Christians, we can’t do anything passively—not even investing. Romans 12:2 calls us to avoid conforming to the patterns of this world, to renew our minds, and to discern what is good. That means we can’t blindly invest in every company just because it’s part of a market index.

Do we really want to profit from industries like pornography, abortion, gambling, or tobacco? Our calling is to pursue good profits—profits that come from serving others and honoring God.

To meet that need, Eventide has created systematic ETFs—investment funds that provide broad market exposure while intentionally excluding harmful industries. They’re designed for believers who want to participate in the market without compromising biblical conviction.

The Neighbor Map: Loving People Through Investing

In his book, The Good Investor, Robin shares something he calls the Neighbor Map—a framework that helps us see all the “neighbors” affected by a business.

God’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19) isn’t abstract. It applies to the business world. At Eventide, they have identified six key neighbors every company should serve:

1. Customers – Are the company’s products truly good for those who use them?
2. Employees – Are they treated with dignity, fairness, and care?
3. Suppliers – Are business relationships ethical and respectful?
4. Communities – Does the company create meaningful jobs and contribute positively to local life?
5. The Environme